Symptoms of Epilepsy in Children

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, approximately 300,000 children in America are affected by epilepsy. Sometimes, it can be controlled with medication, and the condition is outgrown. In other cases, the condition is permanent, even with effective treatment. Diagnosis is made after two independent seizures occur, not related to any other medical condition.

Description

• Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain that affects the nervous system. Epileptic seizures occur when one or more parts of the brain receive numerous and simultaneous signals from the nerve cells, and result in a disruption of brain performance. There is no timetable for when epilepsy can develop. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, 50 percent of all cases begin before 25 years old, and many start in childhood.

Signs & Symptoms

• Epileptic seizures can bring about changes in sensory perception, emotions and physical behavior. However, signs are not universal from child to child. The temporary brain alterations can affect children differently. Sometimes there are pre-warnings before the seizure begins; sometimes there are not. The following is not a complete list of signs and symptoms. Warning symptoms include: changes in smell, sight, sound and taste, numbness, headache or nausea. During the seizure, signs include: loss of consciousness or confusion, convulsions, drooling, upward eye movement, collapsing, shaking, staring, twitching, difficulty breathing and body stiffening. Post-seizure, a child might experience confusion and fear, difficulty talking, injuries and pain.

Cause

• Epilepsy can develop without reason. For cases without cause, idiopathic epilepsy is diagnosed. For cases with a known cause, the diagnosis is symptomatic epilepsy. Related causes include: problematic or insufficient prenatal brain development, lack of oxygen during or following the birth process, brain injury, abnormal brain structures, tumors, extended seizure with fever or severe brain infections. Also, epilepsy can be genetic. According to People Against Childhood Epilepsy (PACE), approximately 75 percent of epilepsy cases have no known cause.

Diagnosis

• There are five steps involved with the diagnosis of epilepsy. First, medical history and thorough neurological and related blood tests validate that an epileptic seizure occurred. Second, seizure type is determined. Third, recognition that seizure disorder is affiliated with established syndrome. Fourth, cause assessed through clinical evaluation. Fifth, treatment plan established.

Treatment

• The use of seizure-preventing medication is usually attempted first during treatment of childhood epilepsy. If those do not effectively treat the condition, or if there are unpleasant side effects, surgery or a ketogenic diet may be attempted. A ketogenic diet consists of high fat, sufficient protein and low carbohydrate levels. If surgery nor the diet change are effective, a new form of therapy called vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may be tried.

Prognosis

• In many cases, children can live outwardly functioning lives. Emotionally, children may experience shame, embarrassment and fear if seizures occur when peers are present. As a result, some children may develop behavioral problems. Most times, brain damage does not occur.