» Seizures
Defining and demystifying seizure disorders
One of the most frightening experiences a parent may witness in her or his child is a seizure or convulsion.In order to deal with this problem effectively, it is best to ‘demystify’ a seizure by defining it.
A seizure is an abnormal discharge of electrical activity in the brain. A child is considered to have epilepsy when she or he has had two or more unprovoked seizures.
Unprovoked implies that there are no obvious triggering events such as infection, fever, trauma, drug intoxication, hypoglycemia or other known stresses that may bring about a seizure in a child not otherwise prone to having epilepsy.
Seizures are not uncommon in children, with approximately 4-5% of children developing febrile seizures, 1% having at least one febrile seizure before age 14 years, and between 0.4-0.8% of children having epilepsy by the age of 11 years.
Seizures are divided into:
- Partial seizures
- Generalized seizures
- Unclassified seizures
Partial seizures may spread and become a more generalised seizure, called secondary generalised seizures. Partial seizures begin in a localised area of the brain and may be either genetic or secondary to some injury or abnormality in a particular brain region.
Generalised seizures may consist of diffuse discharges which spread throughout the brain and not in a localised area.
These seizures may consist of stiffening movements called “tonic,” shaking movements called “clonic,” periods of unresponsiveness called “absence,” loss of muscle tone called “akinetic,” and quick lightening-like movements called“myoclonic.”
Reaching Out newsletter
July 2000