Signs & symptoms
What to look out for if you suspect your child has a brain tumour
We want to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of brain tumour in children, so that we can make interventions earlier. OSCAR’s Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity exists to support and care for children with brain tumours and their families, fund research and raise awareness of signs and symptoms.
We were set-up in 2014 following the death of nine-year-old Oscar Hughes from a brain tumour. Oscar was a sporty child, full of humour and energy. One weekend he seemed very quiet and incredibly drowsy – this was the first indication to his parents that something wasn’t right.
We always want the best for our children’s health and well-being, so it is important to stay informed about potential health concerns. Studies show that 72% of adults in the UK don’t know the signs and symptoms of brain tumours. This page of the website aims to provide you with that valuable information.
The difficulty is that so many of these signs and symptoms are the same as those for a range of other childhood illnesses and can be explained away easily.
At OSCAR’s, we hear too many stories of children whose symptoms of brain tumour in children have gone unidentified being dismissed as something else e.g as an eye infection, tummy ache or even over-excitedness about Christmas.
As parents, we would never want to think the unimaginable and believe the worst, but if you spot some of these signs then please seek the advice of medical professionals. Earlier detection can make a significant difference in your child’s journey to recovery.
What to look out for
Common Symptoms
These will depend on the size of the tumour, where it is and how it affects that part of the brain. General symptoms can include:
Headaches (often worse in the morning)
Your child might suffer from headaches that won't go away or keep coming back. This usually happens at night or first thing in the morning. The headaches may even wake your child from their sleep. This might be accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light.
Vision Changes & Hearing Loss
Brain tumours can affect the optic nerves or areas in the brain involved with visual processing. Children can experience blurred vision, double vision or a loss of peripheral vision. Their eye may look like it is quivering, or your child could develop a squint. The tumour might grow near the area of the brain responsible for hearing. The extent of the hearing loss depends on the specific tumour.
Fits (seizures)
Your child may have seizures where they may lose consciousness or have convulsions (shaking movements). During seizures they may also vomit or drool and lose control of their bladder or bowels. If this happens clear any dangerous objects from the area and surround your child with pillows or soft objects if possible. Don't hold them down or move them unless they're in an unsafe position.
Vomiting (usually in the morning) or feeling sick
Your child might be feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting) for a long period of time. Vomiting in the early morning, or after exercise, is a common sign of a tumour. This wouldn’t usually be accompanied by diarrhoea or a high temperature, like with a stomach bug.
Feeling irritated or losing interest in things
People with brain tumours can feel very fatigued and lethargic, even if they are getting sufficient rest. Babies and young children may be sleeping more and have less energy than usual when doing their regular activities. This would also manifest as a lack of interest in activities they used to enjoy.
Changes in Behavior or Personality
Brain tumours can sometimes lead to shifts in your child's behaviour or personality. These changes might involve being easily irritated, having mood swings, struggling to focus, facing memory issues, or suddenly feeling anxious or down.
Changes in Speech or Language
Brain tumours can impact areas of the brain responsible for speech and language functions. Children may develop difficulties speaking such as slurring their words or losing track of what they are saying. They may also have difficulties understanding what people are saying and lose the ability to write.
Balance and Coordination Difficulties
You may notice issues with your child’s strength, balance or coordination. They may become clumsy or have issues walking, sitting upright or keeping their balance. Children may be unsteady when running or playing sports, or toddlers who have begun walking may stop and start crawling again.
It’s important to remember that many of these symptoms are extremely common for other conditions. Experiencing one by itself is rarely a sign of a brain tumour. However, being aware of all the potential symptoms can help you be ready to take action if two or more symptoms are experienced at the same time.
Useful Information about
Symptoms for different ages
The next section breaks down some of the symptoms into age groups to help you see what behaviours and changes you might notice depending on the age of your child.
Babies and Toddlers
At a young age, children will not be able to describe how they feel, so you need to look out for signs that they are unwell from how they look or behave. Here are some specific things to look out for at this age:
- Persistent / recurrent vomiting – Frequent and unexplained vomiting, especially when not accompanied by diarrhoea or a high temperature.
- Increasing head circumference – All babies’ heads will grow, but be mindful if head circumference is rapidly increasing and this growth isn’t in line with their height and weight. Look out for noticeable bulging or swelling of the soft spots (fontanelles) on the baby’s head
- Irritability/excessive crying – Unusual fussiness, irritability, or inconsolable crying particularly if it is a change from your child’s typical behaviour
- Balance/co-ordination/walking problems – You may notice a loss or reduction in motor skills or your baby may stop walking and revert to cruising or crawling.
- Developmental delays – Delayed milestones such as difficulty holding the head up, rolling over, sitting, or not reaching height and weight goals
- Abnormal eye movements – Visual abnormalities such as squints, misalignment, one or both eyes bulging or seeming to be wobbling, quivering or flickering.
- Vision problems – Your baby may have reduced awareness of people or toys around them or be bumping into things as they move around when they weren’t before
- Behaviour change, particularly lethargy – Be mindful when these changes occur persistently over days or weeks and across all settings – such as at home, nursery and when playing.
- Seizures or fits (not with a fever) – A seizure can be a brief moment when your baby appears to be “absent” from what is going on around them, or jerking/twitching of a hand, arm, leg or the whole body.
- Abnormal head position – You may notice your baby has a stiff neck, an unusual head tilt or difficulties turning their head, and this likely persists over weeks.
- Reduced consciousness – Your baby being less responsive, appearing confused or you not being able to rouse them easily
- Frequent urination/extreme thirst – Large volumes of urine, often shown by leaking nappies, and extra demands for drinks
Young Children
Some young children will not be able to describe exactly how they feel, so you may need to look out for signs that they are unwell from how they look or behave – like going off their food or holding their head or neck.
- Persistent / recurrent headache – Headaches are common, but keep an eye out for persistent headaches, particularly when waking up, that disrupt daily activities or school performance.
- Speech and language difficulties – Slurred speech or difficulty finding or spelling words they used to be OK with when talking, writing or texting
- Balance/co-ordination/walking problems – A reduction in motor skills can be subtle, for example changing hand or foot preference, sudden clumsiness or a loss of learned skills like handwriting, tying shoelaces or ability at computer games.
- Persistent / recurrent vomiting – Persistent vomiting or feeling sick, especially when not accompanied by diarrhoea or a high temperature.
- Abnormal eye movements – Visual abnormalities such as squints, misalignment, one or both eyes bulging or seeming to be wobbling, quivering or flickering.
- Blurred or double vision/loss of vision – Your child may show reduced awareness of their surroundings, start squinting or closing one eye to see better
- Behaviour change – Be mindful when these changes occur persistently over days or weeks and across all settings – such as at home, school and when out playing. They may show increased irritability or mood swings, difficulty concentrating, a decline in school performance, or a loss of interest in previously enjoyed hobbies or activities.
- Seizures or fits – Unexplained seizures, especially if they occur suddenly or frequently. This may be when your child appears to be ‘absent’ from what is going on around them, or jerking/twitching of a hand, arm, leg or the whole body.
- Abnormal head position – You may notice your child has a stiff neck, an unusual head tilt or difficulties turning their head and this likely persists over weeks.
- Reduced consciousness – Your child being less responsive, appearing confused or you not being able to rouse them from sleep easily.
- Frequent urination/excessive thirst – Constantly needing drinks, needing to urinate more frequently and increased accidents or bed wetting
- Abnormal growth – If your child isn’t growing as they should be for their age, this could potentially be caused by a hormone imbalance.
Older Children and Teenagers
At this age, your child may not feel comfortable discussing how they feel, so you may need to look out for signs that they are unwell from how they look or behave. As well, many changes are happening to your child at this stage of their life that signs can be attributed to puberty, but do still be aware. Please refer to the signs and symptoms for children aged 4-11 plus consider any sign of delayed or arrested puberty.
I suspect brain tumour symptoms in my child. What do I do now?
Stay informed, trust your instincts and take action for your child’s health. No-one knows them better than you.
If your child shows one symptom, you should book an appointment with your GP as soon as possible. Or, if they’re experiencing two or more symptoms, you should request an urgent referral to a consultant.
If symptoms are severe or occur suddenly, you should take your child to an emergency department or call 999.
Talk to your child’s doctor
Doctor’s appointments are quite short. Record the signs you have seen using our list along with dates you noticed them before you go. Explain you are concerned it may be caused by a brain tumour. Make notes of what they say and what they plan to do. Let us know the outcome if you need further advice. Remember you can always ask for a second medical opinion.
Visit the optician
If your child is having vision problems, an optician might be able to help by doing an eye test. It is likely to be an eye problem in the vast majority of cases, but it is important to check.
Get support
Childhood brain tumours can be a challenging and frightening experience for families. However, with early detection and appropriate medical care, plus a supportive network, the journey can be more manageable. You can access resources elsewhere on our website to find out more about what to expect after diagnosis.
If you would like to speak to someone to learn a little more about brain tumour symptoms in a child, we’re here to help. You can contact us on 01904 373009 or via the contact form on our website.
Read more about tests for brain tumours – Click here
Resources for Families
What You Need to Know
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc ligula dolo.
