Daniel Birnbaum, MD
Medical Director, Division of Neurology
Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) School of Medicine, Los Angeles
Residency: UCLA Medical Center, Chief Resident in Pediatrics, Los Angeles
Fellowship: Neurology, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
Board Certification: Pediatrics, Child Neurology
Language(s): English, some Spanish
News Room: Experts Guide
Daniel Birnbaum, MD, Neurology
Summary
Daniel Birnbaum, MD, is a pediatric neurologist with 25 years of clinical experience. He treats children with many neurological disorders, including epilepsy, cerebral palsy and Tourette’s syndrome. Dr. Birnbaum is comfortable talking about conditions affecting the central nervous system, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. He and his staff have an extensive epilepsy program with an excellent EEG laboratory and broad experience in many types of childhood epilepsy. The department uses many different treatments including medication, the ketogenic diet and surgery to treat their patients.
Compelling Fact
Epilepsy is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system. It is estimated that 300,000 people have their first convulsion every year. One-hundred and twenty-thousand are under age 18 and between 75,000 and 100,000 of them are children under the age of 5 who have experienced a febrile (fever-caused) seizure.
Source: Epilepsy Foundation
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/about/statistics.cfm
Expertise
- All areas of pediatric neurology – headaches, seizures, developmental delay, tic disorders and neurodegenerative disease
- Cerebral palsy
- Epilepsy
- Muscular dystrophy (MD)
- Rett syndrome
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that makes people susceptible to seizures. A seizure is a change in sensation, awareness, or behavior brought about by a brief electrical disturbance in the brain.
Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic disorder that weakens the muscles. Over time, the affected person may lose the ability to walk or even sit up, as the muscles continue to slowly deteriorate. Some people experience muscle problems as babies, while others develop the disease as adults.
Ketogenic Diet
Children’s Hospital Oakland has the largest ketogenic diet program in northern California and has served more than 125 patients. The ketogenic diet, which is very high in fats and low in carbohydrates, makes the body use fat for energy instead of glucose. When carefully monitored by a medical team familiar with its use, the diet can completely help prevent seizures in 1 out of 3 children. (http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/answerplace/Medical/treatment/diet/)
Professional and Personal background
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