Pediatric Epilepsy

Pediatric epilepsy is a brain disorder involving recurrent seizures.

Causes, Incidence, And Risk Factors of Pediatric Epilepsy:

Pediatric epilepsy is a disorder involving repeated seizures of any type. Seizures ("fits") are episodes of disturbed brain function that cause changes in attention and/or behavior. They are caused by abnormal electrical excitation in the brain.

Sometimes, pediatric epilepsy is related to a temporary condition, such as exposure to drugs, withdrawal from certain drugs, or abnormal levels of sodium or glucose in the blood. In such cases, repeated seizures may not recur once the underlying problem is corrected.

In other cases, injury to the brain (e.g., stroke or head injury) causes brain tissue to be abnormally excitable. In some people, an inherited abnormality affects nerve cells in the brain, which leads to seizures. In some cases, no cause at all can be identified.

Treatment of Pediatric Epilepsy

If an underlying cause for pediatric epilepsy (such as infection) has been identified, the cause should be treated, and this may stop the occurrence of further seizures. This may include surgical repair of tumors or brain lesions, or other treatments.

Oral anti-convulsants may reduce the number of future seizures. Response is individual, and the medication used and dosage may have to be adjusted repeatedly. The type of medicine used for pediatric epilepsy depends on the seizure type, as some seizure types respond well to one medication and may respond poorly (or even be made worse) by others.

The need for follow-up depends on the seizure type and medications used. Some medications need to be monitored for side effects and blood levels.

For some patients, the use of several medications to treat pediatric epilepsy may still be inadequate. This is called refractory pediatric epilepsy. Some such people may benefit from brain surgery to remove the abnormal brain cells that are causing the seizures. For others, a vagal nerve stimulator is implanted in the chest, which can help reduce the number of seizures.

Patients who have pediatric epilepsy should wear medical alert jewelry so that prompt medical treatment can be obtained if a seizure occurs.

Learn more about pediatric epilepsy at the Brenner Children’s Hospital web site.

Pediatric Epilepsy