Neurology

Comprehensive Care for Infants with Neurological Disorders

As a parent, you're often the first to realize something isn't quite right with your young child. If a neurological problem may be the cause, you'll find the medical expertise you need at the Infant Neurology Program at Floating Hospital for Children in downtown Boston.

Our team of top doctors provides specialized, comprehensive care for infants and toddlers ranging from the fetal stage to three years who have neurological disorders. Most conditions we treat are found specifically in very young patients and can result in seizures or long-term developmental disabilities. Examples include:

• Developmental delay
• Seizures in infancy
• Brain injuries before and around birth (fetal/perinatal/neonatal brain injuries)
• Brain malformations
• Various genetic disorders
• Congenital metabolic disorders

Count on us to diagnose your child's neurological disorder as early as possible — and to do everything we can to improve his or her long-term quality of life.

Baby Neurology Care Team

Meet Dr. Tarui, a Leader in Child Neurology

At the Baby Neurology Care Program, your child will be seen by a team that focuses on babies' neurological disorders. Program Director Tomo Tarui, MD, one of the nation's emerging leaders in the field, is board-certified in neurology with a special qualification in child neurology.

Dr. Tarui joined Floating Hospital for Children in 2011, after completing advanced training in fetal-neonatal neurology at Boston Children's Hospital. His training at Children's Hospital covered prenatal counseling, which makes him one of New England's few neurologists who counsels parents when a fetal brain abnormality is found during prenatal care.

Under Dr. Tarui's guidance, Tufts Medical Center has become one of the few U.S. sites conducting fetal neurology research. His research group aims to improve prenatal care by establishing a new, comprehensive approach for evaluating the fetal brain using state-of-the-art fetal brain imaging and genetic analysis tools.

Dr. Tarui has received several private foundation grants, including the Clinical Research Training Fellowship Award from the American Academy of Neurology, to advance his efforts along with the 2012 Young Scientist Award from the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis.

You Won't Go Through This Alone

Receiving word of a pediatric neurological disorder is troubling news for any parent. The Baby Neurology Care Team will be here for you every step of the way.

To produce the best long-term outcome, it's critical to diagnose a neurological disorder early and to begin treatment quickly. Dr. Tarui's training in prenatal diagnosis and management is particularly helpful in this regard. So, too, is our strong working relationship with pediatric neuroradiologist Neel Madan, MD, whose superb skill in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows us to detect even the slightest problems in fetuses.

Possible treatments for neurological disorders include anti-seizure medications, dietary changes and physical, occupational and speech/language therapy. To treat all aspects of your child's neurological disorder, we may also call on the expertise of Tufts MC colleagues in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics, Newborn Medicine, Orthopedics, Cardiology and many other specialties.

Educating parents is an important part of what we do. If a neurological disorder has been detected in utero, Dr. Tarui can work with a genetic counselor at the Tufts MC Genetics Service to support you. We also teach you about practical matters (e.g. what to do if your child suffers a seizure) and connect you with valuable resources (e.g. social workers and other parents of children facing similar health struggles).

We recommend reviewing these resources:

• American Academy of Neurology: Disorders
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Disorders Index
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Birth Defects, Cerebral Palsy, Developmental Disabilities, Epilepsy, other Diseases & Conditions

As pediatrician to a child with a severe neurological disorder, you should be kept informed about all aspects of his or her medical situation. If you refer a patient to us, we will update you as necessary on our management plan and send you notes following each appointment.