Signs & Symptoms of Child Epilepsy

Seizures are the only symptoms of epilepsy, but not all seizures are epileptic. If your child seems to be experiencing seizures, they could be a sign of epilepsy. Only your child's doctor can diagnose your child with epilepsy and identify the type of seizure. Understanding the signs and symptoms to look for can help you obtain the information necessary for your doctor to make the diagnosis, and can ultimately help you get the proper treatment for your child.

Before the Seizure

• One aspect of a seizure that often gets overlooked is the situation before the seizure began. Was your child sick, tired, or stressed before the seizure? Did anything specific seem to set it off? Make sure to keep track of any medication that your child may have taken before the seizure, and ask her about any warning signs that she felt before the seizure came. These signs and symptoms can help your doctor diagnose the type of seizure, as well as whether it was epileptic. For example, a juvenile myoclonic seizure often happens immediately upon awakening, and a complex partial seizure is often accompanied by warning signs, such as fear or nausea.

Seizure Movements

• The movements that the child made during the seizure are some of the most important signs of whether the seizure was epileptic, as well as which type of epileptic seizure it may be. For example, a person with a simple partial seizure may have short contractions in his face, finger, or toe, often on only one side of his body. During a tonic-clonic seizure, the body may first become rigid and then jerk rhythmically. Taking note of these movements can help your doctor correctly diagnose the seizure.

Other Seizure Details

• Talking to the child about the seizure can bring to light other symptoms that can be helpful in identifying whether the seizure was epileptic. For example, a person with sensory seizures may see, hear, or smell something that isn't there, and she may feel a "pins and needles" sensation. Ask the child whether she was aware of what was happening around her during the seizure.

Post Seizure Signs and Symptoms

• What happens after the seizure ends can be another clear sign of the type of seizure, as well as whether it was epileptic. For example, during a generalized absence seizure or atonic seizure, the child is alert immediately after the seizure. After a complex partial seizure, the child may be confused, or may even experience memory loss. Check to see whether your child can speak normally after the seizure or whether he sleeps for longer than usual. These are all signs and symptoms that should be discussed with your child's doctor.