Lakshmi Nagarajan is a paediatric neurologist based at Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, WA 6009. She works with babies, kids, and young people who need extra help with brain and nerve conditions. In many cases, families come in when seizures keep happening, or when a child’s development is taking a different path and they want answers.
Seizures are a big part of the work. This can include absence seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and ongoing epilepsy. At times it also involves urgent care situations, like status epilepticus, where seizures need quick treatment. Lakshmi also looks after children with other neurological issues that can sit alongside epilepsy, including cerebral palsy and spastic diplegia, as well as problems like cortical dysplasia and porencephaly.
Some children are dealing with conditions that are rare or linked to genetics. That might include Batten disease and other CLN conditions, along with biotinidase deficiency, multiple carboxylase deficiency, and other metabolic or enzyme-related disorders. There are also immune-related causes that can affect the nervous system, such as immune issues due to a missing thymus. Lakshmi helps families understand what’s going on and supports them through the next steps.
Development and behaviour can be part of the story too. For example, autism spectrum disorder may be assessed and managed alongside other neurological concerns. At times, the care plan also needs to consider day-to-day support needs, including issues like infant feeding support. Some children may have a gastrostomy, and Lakshmi’s role is to coordinate the medical side of their nervous system condition with the rest of their care team.
Her focus is on clear, practical care for children and families in Western Australia. Paediatric neurology can feel overwhelming, especially when there are repeated seizures or a lot of new information to take in. Over time, the aim is to keep things steady—tracking symptoms, adjusting treatment when needed, and making sure families feel supported along the way.
If a child has a complex or long-term neurological diagnosis, it can help to have a clinician who understands how these conditions fit together. Lakshmi works through the details with families, so they know what the plan is and what to watch for at home. Clinical trials and research can come up for some conditions, but the main thing is always the child’s safety and day-to-day quality of life.
