Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion.
But when a child has 2 or more seizures with no known cause, this is diagnosed as epilepsy. There are different types of seizures. The type of seizure depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected and what happens during the seizure.
The 2 main categories of epileptic seizures are focal partial seizure and generalized seizure. Focal seizures take place when abnormal electrical brain function occurs in one or more areas of one side of the brain. Before a focal seizure, your child may have an aura, or signs that a seizure is about to occur. This is more common with a complex focal seizure. The most common aura involves feelings, such as deja vu, impending doom, fear, or euphoria. Or your child may have visual changes, hearing abnormalities, or changes in sense of smell.
The 2 types of focal seizures are:. Simple focal seizure. The symptoms depend on which area of the brain is affected. More often, muscles are affected. The seizure activity is limited to an isolated muscle group. For example, it may only include the fingers, or larger muscles in the arms and legs.
Your child may also have sweating, nausea, or become pale. Complex focal seizure. This type of seizure often occurs in the area of the brain that controls emotion and memory function temporal lobe.
Your child will likely lose consciousness. This may not mean he or she will pass out. Your child may just stop being aware of what's going on around him or her. Your child may look awake, but have a variety of unusual behaviors. These may range from gagging, lip smacking, running, screaming, crying, or laughing.
Your child may be tired or sleepy after the seizure. This is called the postictal period. A generalized seizure occurs in both sides of the brain. Your child will lose consciousness and be tired after the seizure postictal state. Types of generalized seizures include:. Absence seizure. This is also called petit mal seizure. This seizure causes a brief changed state of consciousness and staring. 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. Written By Venus Brady. When caring for a baby who is younger than 2 years old, you may focus on the usual development milestones like weight gain and head circumference.
However, it may be worthwhile for pediatric specialists and parents to work together to identify if the baby has any neurological disorders. While it is difficult to recognize seizures in infants, early detection is important. Seizures are secondary to some other problem more often during infancy than at any other time of life. In turn, undiagnosed seizures can lead to future trouble concentrating, remembering and ability to learn.
It can even be life-threatening. About per , infants will suffer seizures, which may be difficult to recognize, even as an expert or parent. Generalized convulsing is rarely seen in infants. Instead, focal seizures and epileptic spasms are more common.
While this type of movement may look like the baby is just startled, spasms may occur for five to ten seconds in a cluster for several minutes when the baby first wakes up or is going to sleep. The baby may appear calm or cry in between the spasms and they are likely to occur every day. Parents who think they have seen these symptoms are encouraged to record the baby during a suspected seizure. However, if the caregiver is confident the baby has had any of these symptoms, it is important to see a specialist as soon as possible.
The team of specialists may conduct a thorough evaluation using diagnostic testing that may be a combination of tactics from neuroimaging studies to video EEG VEEG. With a diagnosis, experts can create a treatment plan. Treatment may start with hormones for infantile spasms and medication for focal epilepsy. For this reason, babies experiencing neonatal seizures should receive rapid, specialized care. About half of all babies who have neonatal seizures will develop epilepsy later in life. Those with seizures related to brain injuries or developmental abnormalities may have further complications, such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other neurological disorders.
These conditions result from the underlying brain damage, not the seizure itself. In rare cases, neonatal seizures are caused by a condition called benign familial neonatal seizures, also known as fifth-day convulsions or fifth-day fits. This condition is inherited, and the baby's mother or father will also have had the disorder. Many babies with benign familial neonatal seizures develop normally, although some may have developmental delays that are seen in early childhood.
Neonatal seizures can be difficult to diagnose because the seizure may be short and subtle. In addition, symptoms of neonatal seizures may mimic normal movements and behaviors seen in healthy babies. A test called an electroencephalogram EEG is essential for diagnosing and managing neonatal seizures. EEG records the electrical activity of the brain, and abnormalities on an EEG test measured between seizures can indicate a risk for seizures.
However, babies with benign familial neonatal seizures usually have normal EEG readings. Imaging tests of the brain, including magnetic resonance imaging MRI and computed tomography CT scan , are also used to determine the cause of seizures.
Prompt diagnosis and treatment of neonatal seizures is essential. Your baby's health care team will also work to identify and treat any underlying cause of the seizures. To control the seizures, anticonvulsant medications may be prescribed, including phenobarbital, lorazepam and phenytoin. Your baby will be closely monitored at all times while receiving these medications.
Babies suffering from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy not enough oxygen to the brain may receive hypothermia treatment, which may reduce brain damage caused by the lack of oxygen. Hypothermic treatment involves cooling the baby's brain and body by a few degrees immediately after birth for several hours or days. Babies are closely monitored during treatment, and then slowly re-warmed to normal body temperature. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your child's doctor or other health care provider.
We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your child's provider. Our glossary explains the terms we use in the intensive care nursery in language that's easy to understand. Learn about chest tubes, respirators and more. Is your baby in the intensive care nursery?
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