Can infants outgrow seizures

This is common during a seizure and not a sign of a problem. During a seizure the brain is working hard and needs plenty of oxygen. The human body naturally takes some oxygen away from the area around the mouth to send to the brain causing the blue look around the mouth.

This does not mean your child is not getting enough oxygen to the brain. If a seizure lasts longer than five 5 minutes then you need help to stop the seizure.

The only way to stop a seizure is with medicine. There is nothing else you can do to stop a seizure. You cannot stop the seizure by holding or talking to your child. During a seizure your child cannot take medicine by mouth. It must be given through an intravenous line IV or in the rectum or nose where it will be absorbed through the mucous membranes. Sometimes when a child has seizures that last longer than a few minutes, we give parents one of these rescue medications to have at home.

When a child has a long seizure at home, parents can give a rescue medication through the rectum or nose to stop a seizure. This can prevent extra calls and visits to the emergency room. All of these medicines will make your child more sleepy than usual after a seizure. If your child has a seizure that lasts longer than five 5 minutes, call The emergency squad may be able to give one of these medicines or they will take your child to a hospital where the staff will be able to give the medicine.

Most children who have epilepsy will live a very full and long life. However, very rarely a child may die from an injury or drowning during a seizure, a very long seizure 60 minutes or longer , or from Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy SUDEP.

Many children outgrow their seizures. A child is more likely to outgrow his seizures if he has a normal EEG , normal MRI , normal development, no other neurological problems, and the seizures are controlled easily with medication. After a child begins taking medicine and has no seizures for two 2 years, many children are slowly taken off the seizure medication.

You should never stop medication on your own. If you stop medication suddenly it may cause your child to have a seizure. Flashing lights can trigger seizures in some children. We usually learn if your child is sensitive to flashing lights during an EEG.

If this is the case he may be at increased risk for a seizure when he is exposed to flashing lights from a TV, computer or video game, or strobe lights. Hopefully, medication will decrease the risk so that no specific modifications are needed.

However, some precautions may be necessary when watching TV or playing video or computer games. Your child should not sit too close to the TV, take a 10 or 15 minute break if playing computer games longer than one 1 hour, avoid these activities when overtired, and lights in the room should stay on. Wearing sunglasses with blue lenses when driving or riding in a car will decrease the risk of seizures triggered by flashing sunlight on bright days.

There are a few factors which may trigger someone to have a seizure when they are otherwise well controlled. These are often called breakthrough seizures. Factors which may trigger seizures are lack of sleep, illness and fever, missed medications, alcohol use, and significant mental or physical stress.

If seizures are well controlled most children can play most sports. Some precautions may be needed. Sports and strenuous activities very rarely trigger seizures in children. There is even some evidence that physical activity may actually help decrease the risk of seizures.

If a child does not have a seizure for a few years while taking medication, it may be possible to stop taking it. This is different for every child. A child should never stop taking medication unless it is recommended and closely supervised by a doctor. Epilepsy can increase a child's chance of having a mood or learning disorder. Headaches , ulcers, and other physical conditions are also common. It is important for parents to know about possible "co-morbidities" and talk to their child's doctor about any concerns.

Types of Seizures. Seizures and Epilepsy in Children. What is a Child Neurologist? You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server.

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Safety and Prevention. Your child will likely maintain posture. His or her mouth or face may twitch or eyes may blink rapidly. The seizure usually lasts no longer than 30 seconds. When the seizure is over, your child may not recall what just occurred.

He or she may go on with activities as though nothing happened. These seizures may occur several times a day. This type of seizure is sometimes mistaken for a learning or behavioral problem. Absence seizures almost always start between ages 4 to Atonic seizure. This is also called a drop attack. With an atonic seizure, your child has a sudden loss of muscle tone and may fall from a standing position or suddenly drop his or her head.

During the seizure, your child will be limp and unresponsive. Generalized tonic-clonic seizure GTC. This is also called grand mal seizure. The classic form of this kind of seizure has 5 distinct phases. This is followed by contraction and relaxation of the muscles clonic period and the postictal period.

During the postictal period, your child may be sleepy. He or she may have problems with vision or speech, and may have a bad headache, fatigue, or body aches. Not all of these phases occur in everyone with this type of seizure. Myoclonic seizure. This type of seizure causes quick movements or sudden jerking of a group of muscles. These seizures tend to occur in clusters. This means that they may occur several times a day, or for several days in a row. A seizure may be caused by a combination of these.

General symptoms or warning signs of a seizure can include:. Falling suddenly for no apparent reason, especially when associated with loss of consciousness. After the seizure, your child may be sleepy or confused.

The symptoms of a seizure may be like those of other health conditions. Make sure your child sees his or her healthcare provider for a diagnosis. Lumbar puncture spinal tap , to measure the pressure in the brain and spinal canal and test the cerebral spinal fluid for infection or other problems.

The goal of treatment is to control, stop, or reduce how often seizures occur. Treatment is most often done with medicine. Many types of medicines used to treat seizures and epilepsy. Medicines are selected based on the type of seizure, age of the child, side effects, cost, and ease of use. Medicines used at home are usually taken by mouth as capsules, tablets, sprinkles, or syrup.

Some medicines can be given into the rectum or in the nose. If your child is in the hospital with seizures, medicine may be given by injection or intravenously by vein IV.

It is important to give your child medicine on time and as prescribed. The dose may need to be adjusted for the best seizure control. All medicines can have side effects. If your child has side effects, talk to the healthcare provider. It may not be the same normal you or your family experienced prior to the epilepsy diagnosis, but with enough time, education and support from your physician and your loved ones, it will get better.

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