How to tell if your child is having seizures. Types of causes of seizures in children. Nonfebrile seizures in children

Minor twitching of the legs and the occurrence of muscle spasms after physical activity - such involuntary movements are caused by abnormal electrical activity and an increased flow of nerve impulses into the muscles. Facial convulsions in a small child during light sleep are a striking example of this process. As a rule, such manifestations in the form of convulsions during sleep in a child without fever are completely harmless and pass without a trace. The danger may be hidden in severe spasms caused by metasmic disorders. This type of seizure requires treatment and subsequent prevention.

The manifestation of convulsive reactions of the body is typical for every person, especially under certain conditions. Abnormal discharges in the brain cause uncontrolled contraction of muscle fibers and involuntary twitching. Such attacks are harmless and fairly one-time.

Seizures in babies can occur due to the following reasons:

• lack of sleep;
• various brain lesions;
• hypoxia;
• malignant tumors;
• flickering of light when electronic devices are operating in the room;
• inflammation of the meninges;
• deficiency of potassium, magnesium and calcium;
• brain injuries;
• intoxication;
• congenital malformations of brain structures.

During such convulsive attacks, the baby feels pain and may roll his eyes violently. At this time, the muscles tremble and are very tense.
But febrile spasms occur against the background of general fever and temperature in children from six months to five years.

At temperatures above thirty-nine degrees, attacks may occur that last no more than two minutes. This phenomenon can be hereditary and occurs in thirty percent of children.

Cramps and muscle twitching

How can you determine whether a small child is having dangerous or normal seizures during night sleep? As a rule, this type of muscle contraction has pronounced symptoms. It is worth remembering what such convulsions look like in a child’s sleep in order to provide first aid in time.

Types of seizures and help in the situation:

1. Frequent blinking and twitching of the head, facial or neck muscles is a temporary and fairly common phenomenon in the form of a nervous tic that does not cause discomfort to the baby and does not cause harm to health.
2. In older children, muscle fibers in the arms may contract after writing or playing. This may cause tingling in the hands. This phenomenon may occur due to changes in the level of minerals in the blood. You can help your child in the following way: ask him to breathe calmly, suggest the technique of inhaling and exhaling slowly into a plastic bag until he feels better.
3. Contractions in individual muscles during wakefulness or sleep can occur as a result of physical or sports activities. They can occur in the form of cramping of the legs after falling asleep. Twitching occurs in one or more muscle groups. This unpleasant painful condition disappears within a few minutes after the attack. This condition can occur after overwork. You can help your baby very simply - stop putting stress on the muscle fibers, stop stretching and massaging the muscles. These are completely harmless abbreviations. However, if the phenomenon occurs regularly, you need to contact a neurologist, because the condition may indicate disorders and pathologies of metasmus.
4. Difficulty breathing, mouth opening, convulsive swallowing and spasms of the face and jaw often occur after vaccination along with chills and. It is worth calling an ambulance and providing qualified treatment.
   Pale skin, slight muscle twitching - occurs in little ones after strong emotional upheavals or a stuffy room. If the condition goes away after a few minutes, you do not need to call an ambulance. But you should definitely visit a pediatrician and rule out the possibility of anemia.
5. Twitching of the arms on both sides, convulsions and spasms of the head, legs and palms. The child does not respond to the parents’ voice, there is cyanosis of the skin, reflex urination or foam at the mouth. Increased temperature and toxicosis are observed. If you feel this way, you need to call emergency help, and until the team arrives, you need to lay the baby on his side and keep him away from sharp objects. When the cramps go away, it is best for the child to sleep on his side. A similar condition without a visible trigger can result from epilepsy. It is worth undergoing an examination at the clinic to identify defects in the development mechanisms and the presence of affective and respiratory conditions.

Are leg cramps a symptom of a serious illness?

Calf cramps can develop in seven percent of babies. Adults experience such spasms in 30% of cases. And older people feel cramps in fifty percent, especially at night. Such phenomena, regardless of age, most often occur due to magnesium deficiency in the body.

Diseases that are characterized by a symptom in the form of night cramps:

• liver dysfunction;
• inflammation of skeletal muscles;
• restless legs syndrome;
• and renal dysfunction;
• hypothyroidism

During attacks against the background of such ailments, unexpected sharp pain and severe tension in the muscle fibers occur. Parents can relieve cramps by stretching the muscles by stretching their calves. At night, such attacks can occur repeatedly.

Prevention of night leg cramps in children

Often muscle fibers lack mineral elements in the blood - calcium, sodium, magnesium and potassium. In this case, both children and adults can experience cramped legs. Also, spasms often occur against the background of water or mineral imbalance, which directly affects blood circulation and brain function. It is necessary to adjust the amount of water you drink and maintain electrolyte metabolism in the body.

Corrective gymnastic exercises are used to prevent cramps and spasms in the calf muscles. Properly performed movements help improve blood circulation in general and develop proper muscle functionality.
You can consult about this problem with herbalists and representatives of traditional medicine. Medicinal herbal teas from medicinal plants with a high content of coumarins have proven themselves well. These substances improve lymphatic drainage and promote normal blood supply to the muscles. Flowers of medicinal chamomile and star anise seeds are rich in coumarins.

You can help your baby cope with cramps in the calf muscles by adjusting their diet, including smoothies and vitamin-rich vegetable juices. They are rich in minerals and vitamins important for the body. You can dilute healthy drinks with carrot, spinach or apple juice. Also, you need to add foods rich in microelements:

• parsley, cabbage, dandelion leaves - high potassium content;
• seaweed, almonds, sunflower seeds, figs, dried bananas, apricots - a storehouse of magnesium;
• dairy products are sources of calcium;
• table salt is a storehouse of sodium;
• almond milk, sesame seeds, dates are sources of potassium.

Also, it is worth choosing comfortable and comfortable shoes for your baby. Uncomfortable sneakers, sandals, shoes and boots put pressure on the balls of your feet and strain your calf muscles. Uncomfortable shoes can be a significant cause of calf muscle spasms.

Are leg cramps a sign of growth?

If seizures occur rarely enough and only during sleep, they should not seriously worry the baby’s parents. Such cramps can be caused by active games in the evening before bed, an emotional situation or watching exciting cartoons.

Also, spasms at night often provoke active growth processes of the skeleton and musculoskeletal system. You can calm a child with such spasms using massage and relieving excess tension.

You can prevent the occurrence of spasms as follows:

• Massage your legs at night to relieve fatigue before bed;
• Carry out a douche using a shower, pouring cold and warm water on your legs alternately;
• Create a cozy atmosphere in the room for sleeping - put on pajamas, ventilate the room, put on socks at night;
• It is recommended to read to the child before bedtime and give warm milk.

Help with leg cramps

After consultation with a pediatrician, many babies are given asparkam to increase the level of magnesium and potassium in the blood. The medicine is used both in the form of tablets and injections. The product is rich in valuable magnesium and potassium aspartates. Also, the drug reduces the lack of minerals in the body, improves blood circulation during seizures and heart diseases.

Transdermal magnesium levels can be restored in the body by foot baths with sea salt, magnesium sulfate or magnesium chloride. Sea salt is especially healthy because it is rich in iodine, sodium and magnesium. The product relaxes the calf muscles, relieves spasms and makes it easier to fall asleep in general.

The use of salt is quite simple - dilute one hundred grams of the product in five liters of water. Carry out the procedure for a quarter of an hour. Carry out therapy every other day or a couple of times a week until complete recovery and relief from night cramps.

List of used literature:

• Bishop DV, Anderson M, Reid C, Fox AM; Anderson; Reid; Fox (2011). Koenig, Thomas, ed. “Auditory development between 7 and 11 years: an event-related potential (ERP) study.” PLoS ONE
• Hu Z, Chan RC, McAlonan GM; Chan; McAlonan (2010). “Maturation of social attribution skills in typically developing children: an investigation using the social attribution task.” Behavioral and Brain Functions
• Stiles J, Jernigan TL; Jernigan (2010). “The basics of brain development.” Neuropsychology Review

Most parents experience childhood seizures, and often mothers and fathers are very frightened by what is happening. Meanwhile, convulsions do not necessarily mean mortal danger, and some are even common companions of growing up.

So, should we panic or not, and if we panic, then when? We decided to understand this issue with the help of Elena PARAMONOVA, a neurologist-epileptologist, founder, director and expert of the “Algorithm” center for epilepsy, paroxysmal conditions and sleep disorders.

“Rolling up” when screaming and crying

- Elena Nikolaevna, what kind of seizures are typical for children?

Very often, parents are afraid of affective-respiratory attacks, simply “rolling up” when crying. In fact, these attacks look quite scary - the child turns blue, falls, and bends over. Or there may also be pale fainting - often a reaction to pain, especially if you hit the back of your head, turned pale and fell. All parents are afraid of these conditions.

There are four types of affective respiratory attacks (ARAs).

The most common one is called simple ARP. Manifests itself in the form of holding the breath at the end of exhalation. Usually the result of frustration or trauma. There are no major changes in circulation or oxygenation and respiration occurs spontaneously.

Blue type. Typically caused by anger or frustration, although it can also be caused by pain. The child cries and makes a forced exhalation, sometimes there is cyanosis (blue color), loss of muscle tone and loss of consciousness. Most children regain consciousness, some fall asleep for an hour or two.

Pale type. The child turns pale (as opposed to the blue type) and loses consciousness; does not cry or cries a little.

Complicated type. It may simply be a more severe form of the previous two types. This type of attack begins as "blue" or "pale" and then develops into something like an epileptic seizure. The electroencephalogram outside the seizure is essentially normal.

- What to do?

First of all, down with fear! The child needs to be brought out of this state: you can splash cold water on his face, you can wash him, slap him on the bottom or cheek, you can shake him sharply and blow into his mouth. Sometimes it helps to take the child out into the cold air, bring him to an open window. Any influence designed for a reflex reaction helps.

- Why do such conditions arise?

These conditions are hereditary. Often in the doctor’s office, when asked if this happened to someone close to them, adults begin to remember what, yes, happened to their brother, grandmother, sister...

- Such attacks last a lifetime?

No no. These attacks disappear after five years. But, dear parents, keep in mind that much in this matter depends on you! In families where parents have thoroughly studied the issue, listened to the doctor’s advice, understood everything and are not afraid of anything, these conditions go away quite painlessly.

” But when parents react hysterically, the child may develop neurosis. It happens that sometimes children with affective-respiratory attacks realize that their parents are afraid of such conditions, and begin to simulate them, because our children are very smart creatures who can use any means to achieve a goal (laughs). Remember that a lot depends on how the parents behave.

Febrile seizures

- Children often have seizures at elevated temperatures. Please tell us about them.

There are typical febrile convulsions at a body temperature of 38.5 and above (this temperature is called febrile). They are characterized by the following signs:

firstly, age from one to five;

secondly, the duration is no longer than five minutes;

thirdly, these are generalized seizures (spread throughout the body), in other words, the child either “pulls” or “hits” the whole body.

” -5% of children around the world are susceptible to such seizures, and only in 5% of these five such seizures can be the onset of epilepsy. The remaining 95% exceeded the age of five and entered adulthood as healthy people. Just keep in mind that their children can also exhibit such cramps.

There are atypical febrile seizures. This is a much more dangerous condition. Contact your doctor immediately if you observe the following signs:

firstly, seizures begin before the age of one year (especially before 6 months!) or after five years;

secondly, body temperature 37.5;

thirdly, they are focal in nature, that is, a spasm passes through one half of the body, and the other is not involved.

These are very dangerous conditions because they indicate brain diseases - the occurrence of tumors or the development of structural temporal lobe epilepsy.

-Elena Nikolaevna, what diseases can trigger febrile seizures in children?

Absolutely any, each person individually. Some people experience convulsions due to a sore throat, some due to pneumonia, some due to a rotavirus infection, the flu... To be fair, it should be noted that even an adult can react to a temperature of 40 with the flu with a cramp.

Seizures in adolescence

Can convulsions be companions of growth, that is, they occur in adolescence and go away over time?

Of course, after all, in puberty (puberty is the period of puberty, usually 12-16 years for girls and 13-18 years for boys), the body undergoes restructuring, and it happens that it cannot cope with the stress. At this age, what is more common is not even convulsions, but convulsive fainting (pulling and going limp), as well as just fainting - going limp and dripping like ice cream. They occur when there is strong excitement (boys are afraid of injections, for example). They happen from standing for a long time (girls faint at school assemblies on September 1).

” To exclude suspicion of some other disease, parents need to know that a person “enters” into fainting, and adolescents describe their condition quite clearly: there is a feeling of lightheadedness, dizziness, ringing in the ears or congestion.

If everything happens this way, then it will go away with age, but a consultation with a neurologist is, of course, mandatory. Parents just need to understand that fainting is not a reason to panic.

- Which teenagers are at risk?

These are, of course, kids who very quickly “went up” and grew up. And children who do not have physical and motor activity, those who sit at school all day and then at home in front of the computer.

” -Dear Parents! Remember that for the treatment of such cramps and fainting, the most important thing is vascular training, namely physical activity and hardening procedures.

Elena Nikolaevna, what should you do if a teenager still experiences periodic seizures, but doctors find no abnormalities?

Don’t give up, don’t let things take their course, but look for reasons! For teenagers, everything is already the same as for adults. Non-epileptic seizures should be dealt with by doctors from a variety of specialties:

heart rhythm disturbances detected on the ECG - see a cardiologist;

hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) - see an endocrinologist. After all, there are teenagers who simply don’t eat (they don’t have time, they don’t want to, they lose weight), and there are children with a predisposition to diabetes;

hypocalcemia - low calcium level - see a therapist. And a note for mothers: be sure to monitor the intake of calcium-containing medications and vitamin D in all children, from infants to adolescents. By the way, with hypocalcemia, cramps are painful and prolonged.

rare, but there is a tumor of the pancreas - insulinoma, which can also cause seizures - see an oncologist;

if a teenager has a bad electroencephalogram (EEG), see an epileptologist.

” -If a conscientious doctor complains of seizures, he will always recommend doing an ECG (electrocardiogram), daily Holter ECG monitoring, EEG (electroencephalogram), donating blood for sugar and microelements: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus.

There are many causes of seizures, you need to be examined, look for and find them, and then treat them and create a healthy and joyful life for yourself and your children! Health to you and your children!

Interviewed by Rimma Petrak

Cramps are involuntary muscle contractions, which can involve either one muscle or several muscle groups.

Due to the imperfection of the nervous system and higher susceptibility to infectious diseases, they are observed much more often in children than in adults. Seizures in a child during sleep are especially dangerous - parents simply may not have time to diagnose them.

In some cases, along with involuntary muscle contractions, twitching of the limbs and pathological pulsation of blood vessels, the manifestation of many other, no less dangerous symptoms can be observed.

For example, such as:

1. Violation of facial expressions is a sign that the pathogenesis of the disease in a certain way involves the facial nerve or the central nervous system, which is even worse.
2. Bulging or rolling eyes.
3. Strong clenching of the jaws, even to the point of grinding teeth.
4. Peripheral and central cyanosis.
5. Foaming and vomiting from the mouth.

All these signs make up a common symptom complex, by which even a person far from medicine can recognize the manifestation of generalized seizures of neurological origin.

These signs include:

1. The child falls on the floor (as a rule, he falls on his stomach or side).
2. The patient loses consciousness, and it becomes impossible to establish verbal contact with him.
3. Convulsions.
4. Involuntary urination and defecation.
5. Muscle relaxation, after which the child, in most cases, falls asleep. It is very rare for patients to remember how their epilepsy attack went.

It is necessary to understand that the symptom complex described above is not observed in all cases. The above picture characterizes the most terrible and prognostically unfavorable type of seizure, epileptic. The clinical picture may not always be so pronounced.

For example, with hyperthermic syndrome, cramps can be local, that is, affecting only one muscle group, and it will be much more difficult to notice them, since all other symptoms do not appear.

Types of seizures

Depending on how seizures manifest themselves and what causes them, a classification of seizures has been developed, presented below.

Tonic

This type of spasm involves involuntary contraction of the limbs, during which the so-called “freezing of the arms and legs” occurs in a state of extension or flexion (the limb is only in a bent or unbent position for a certain time).

The most characteristic sign is that the child’s body stretches during an attack of tonic convulsions, the head is thrown back, and the patient loses consciousness. Tonic muscle contractions occur slowly and last a long time. Manifestations of this form of convulsive syndrome occur due to pronounced overexcitation of brain structures.

Clonic

In this case, dynamic muscle contraction occurs, uncontrolled, chaotic movement of the limbs and torso. Very often, this type of seizure occurs during sleep, when the child is in a prone position. Sometimes a combination of tonic and clonic seizures is observed. The causes of seizures in children in this case are, as a rule, endocrinological in origin (the regulation of the level of calcium concentration in the blood is disrupted).

Febrile

This clinical variant is more typical for children under the age of 6-7 years. Seizures are especially dangerous in children under one year of age. The root cause of this condition is fever of various etiologies. The predisposing factor is heredity.

Characteristic clinical manifestations are:

• external detachment from what is happening;
• loss of consciousness;
• central and peripheral cyanosis;
• breathing disorder.

Disorientation in space, lack of perception of what is happening and lack of speech addressed to the child are also characteristic. Infantile convulsions can lead to the fact that the child becomes “on the bridge”, and it is not possible to return him to a normal position.

Respiratory-affective

One of the rarest forms of the disease, occurring due to stress. It typically appears between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. The risk factor is prematurity. Sometimes this type of convulsions occurs without any emotion - the child experiences convulsions during sleep in a prone position.

Causes of seizures

Seizures should not be considered as a separate nosology - this condition is always considered a consequence of some disease. It is very important to understand the reason for the seizure syndrome in order to choose the right treatment (both for emergency medical care and for prescribing planned treatment). Without determining the cause of involuntary muscle contractions, it is impossible to select a drug that could be used to stop it.

Predetermining root causes and most significant risk factors

1. Features of the period of life. The most significant factor for the occurrence of seizures in children is the imperfection of the children's central nervous system (low threshold of excitability). This is especially pronounced in premature infants.
2. Often, the causes of seizures in newborns are injuries suffered in the intranatal period (during childbirth).
3. Also, sometimes seizures occur due to improper vaccination (we are not talking about the advisability of refusing vaccines due to the likely development of involuntary muscle contractions, these are completely different things).
4. Neurological disorders. In addition to epilepsy, seizures can also occur with any other disease that affects the brain, including due to icteric intoxication.
5. Disorders of calcium metabolism caused by diseases of the thyroid and parathyroid glands can also be the cause of the condition in question (it is necessary to take into account that it is calcium ions that are responsible for the contraction of myocytes).
6. Infectious and non-infectious diseases accompanied by febrile fever. The risk of developing involuntary muscle contractions is especially high if an increase in body temperature occurs in a child with concomitant pathology of the nervous system.
7. In rare cases, fear can lead to the development of this syndrome.
8. Taking certain medications (overdose or unwanted side effect).

How to help a child with seizures

This condition poses an immediate danger to the child’s life, so urgent hospitalization is necessary. There, specialized emergency medical care will be provided, the likelihood of all possible complications will be excluded, and the patient will be sent for planned treatment to the pediatric neurology department.

In case of seizures due to high temperature, everything can be limited to a consultation with a neurologist, after which the child will be in a regular somatic department.

To determine or clarify the immediate cause of the convulsive syndrome and select management tactics for the patient, it will be necessary to conduct a number of studies:

1. General blood test (detailed) and biochemical with determination of renal-hepatic and rheumatic complex. The immediate signs of seizures will not be determined, but risk factors and associated pathologies can be identified.
2. Electroencephalography (the study of electrical impulses in the brain) allows us to determine the presence of central nervous system pathology, which causes childhood seizures;
3. All other examinations are scheduled as needed. These include: computed tomography, pneumoencephalography, angiography, spinal puncture (if meningitis is suspected). These techniques are difficult to implement in young children.

Etiological treatment of seizures in children is prescribed only after determining the cause of their occurrence. An exception is convulsions during fever in a child, which arise as a complication of intoxication syndrome. In this case, antibacterial drugs are used empirically.

Emergency care at the prehospital stage

A fundamentally important question for all parents, without exception, is what to do if a child has seizures? First aid for seizures in children is provided by any person who was nearby during the manifestation of the pathological syndrome.

Even if the parents do not have any medications at the time of the attack, it will be necessary to completely undress the child, provide an influx of fresh air, and, if the body temperature rises, give an antipyretic drug.

An important point is that you can only give an intramuscular injection or use antipyretic drugs rectally, since manifested convulsions in the baby exclude the possibility of taking medications orally due to possible asphyxia.

In the first case, a lytic mixture is used (analgin, diphenhydramine and papaverine), in the second - Analdim suppositories. If they are absent, you should at least put a cold compress on your head. This will not relieve the child’s seizures, but the fever will become less intense.

If there is a suspicion of a convulsive seizure caused by an epileptic attack, then it will be necessary to exclude the possibility of involuntary trauma to the child or swallowing of the tongue.

It will be enough to remove all objects located in the access area and fix the tongue with a spoon so that it does not block the airways. Seizures in a child in this case lead to death precisely due to asphyxia or injury.

In children in early childhood, seizures are very common. Cramps are chaotic contractions of various muscle groups.

Causes of seizures in children

The appearance of seizures in older age is most often associated with diseases of the nervous system. This could be brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diseases. In early childhood, the appearance of seizures can also be associated with these diseases, but most often this is due to the immaturity of the nervous system.

If you imagine a nerve ending as an electrical wire, you can easily understand the principle of nerve impulse transmission. In the center there is a nerve fiber through which the nerve impulse is transmitted, like electricity through a wire. On the outside, this nerve fiber is covered with an insulating substance - myelin. Myelin prevents the nerve impulse from leaving the nerve fiber. In young children, the nerve fiber is not completely covered with myelin, so it is possible for a nerve impulse to escape outside the nerve fiber and excite nearby nerve fibers.

Very often, when the child’s body temperature rises during colds in children, the transmission of nerve impulses along the fibers increases. These nerve impulses break through to the outer contour of the nerve fiber and begin to be transmitted to neighboring fibers. Chaotic irritation of the nerve fibers occurs, and because of this, the muscles begin to contract involuntarily - cramps appear. Such convulsions are called febrile, that is, they develop against the background of an increase in body temperature.

Another reason for the development of seizures is electrolyte disturbances. Electrolytes are involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. The main function in conducting the impulse belongs to calcium and sodium ions. When their concentration in the blood decreases, convulsions may occur. The appearance of seizures is also associated with metabolic disorders, in particular a decrease in blood glucose levels.

Sometimes children can experience convulsions against the background of psycho-emotional shock; in rare cases, children can independently provoke the appearance of convulsions in themselves and thus “blackmail” their parents into buying them something.

Reasons that lead to seizures in children:

1. Infectious diseases. Meningitis, encephalitis, and brain abscesses lead to brain damage and disruption of nerve impulse transmission.
2. Maternal drug abuse during pregnancy. Drugs disrupt the process of intrauterine brain formation, so children born to drug-addicted mothers may experience seizures.
3. Endocrine diseases. Diabetes mellitus, diseases of the thyroid gland, and adrenal glands can cause seizures in a child at any age.
4. Burdened heredity. Some genetic diseases lead to impaired brain development, which may result in the development of seizures in a child.
5. Tumor lesions of the brain cause a disruption in the conduction of nerve impulses along nerve fibers, which is why children experience seizures.
6. Lack of calcium.
7. Incorrect use of medications. Some drugs, such as diuretics, cause a decrease in calcium in the blood, which causes seizures. The appearance of seizures is also observed with an overdose of vitamin D3 and the development of a condition such as spasmophilia.
8. A cramp may occur during hypothermia (for example, a limb will cramp in cold water). But if this happens frequently, you need to see a doctor.

Seizures can be mistaken for an epileptic attack, so when diagnosing, it is necessary to keep this disease in mind.

Symptoms of seizures

Convulsions can be focal (involve one group of muscles on one half of the child’s body), multifocal (a group of muscles in one or the other half of the child’s body is affected) and generalized (against the background of twitching of individual muscle groups, loss of consciousness is observed, sometimes with cessation of breathing).

The risk of seizures in a child is associated with the possibility of respiratory arrest.

Child examination

To diagnose seizures you must:

1. General blood test, general urinalysis, for children under 3 years of age, urine analysis according to Sulkovich to exclude spasmophilia.
2. Determination of the electrolyte composition of the blood. Particular attention is paid to reducing calcium and magnesium levels in the blood.
3. Determination of blood glucose.
4. Determination of blood gas composition. Pay attention to the oxygen and carbon dioxide content.
5. Carrying out a lumbar puncture with examination of the cerebrospinal fluid to determine the content of sugar, protein, electrolytes, and cellular composition to exclude infectious damage to the brain.
6. Ultrasound examination of the brain for children with an open fontanel, tomography of the brain for older children.
7. Electroencephalography to determine brain function and detect vascular disorders.

First aid for a child with a seizure

When convulsions appear, the child must be laid on a flat surface and try to protect him from foreign objects, since by making chaotic movements with his arms and legs, the child can injure himself. The child needs access to oxygen, so you cannot “huddle” over the child, hanging over him and making it difficult for him to get fresh air. If the child has a tight collar on his shirt, the top buttons must be undone. Under no circumstances should you try to insert foreign objects, especially sharp ones, into your child’s mouth, as this can lead to serious injury. It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor.

Treatment of seizures in children

For treatment, it is necessary to determine the cause of the development of seizures and, if possible, eliminate it. In case of metabolic disorders, an intravenous infusion of glucose solution is performed; to correct electrolyte disturbances, calcium and magnesium solutions are used.

The main treatment is aimed at stopping seizures. Anticonvulsants are used to relieve seizures. Such drugs are phenobarbital and seduxen. Seduxen is administered at a dosage of 0.2-0.3 mg/kg intravenously and 0.5-1.0 mg/kg intramuscularly. Phenobarbital is prescribed at a dosage of 3-4 mg/kg intravenously.

If there is no effect from the treatment, intravenous administration of vitamin B6 is recommended.

If there is no effect from the treatment within an hour, transfer of the child to artificial ventilation with the prescription of muscle relaxants is indicated, since in this case respiratory arrest may develop.

To prevent the development of seizures, proper nutrition, normalization of sleep and wakefulness, moderate physical activity, prevention of viral infections, hardening, vitamin therapy, and the use of medications only under the supervision of a doctor are necessary.

If a child has febrile seizures that occur when the body temperature rises, the body temperature should not be allowed to rise. In this case, it is recommended to bring down even the temperature to 37.1° C.

Pediatrician Litashov M.V.

Convulsions in a child always look scary. Especially for the youngest children. Muscle spasms in a newborn or a baby of the first year of life can manifest themselves in different ways, but in all cases, without exception, parents find themselves face to face with a frightening situation in which it is not immediately clear what to do and where to turn.

We will tell you in this article about what kind of cramps toddlers have in infancy and what moms and dads should do.

How do they develop?

Muscle spasms (cramps) are involuntary, spontaneous muscle contractions. During an attack, specific muscles may be affected, or large muscle groups may be involved.

Spasms can be long-lasting and painful - tonic. And they can be combined with periods of relaxation - clonic.

All young children, from the moment of birth, are characterized by increased convulsive readiness. This term in medicine explains the tendency of the body, under a combination of certain circumstances and factors, to react with the occurrence of a convulsive syndrome.

Babies have an immature nervous system, and the burden on it from the very first hours of independent existence apart from their mother is very serious. This often explains the increased convulsive readiness in very early childhood.

The convulsive symptom in the vast majority of infants occurs once in a lifetime, and does not recur. But there are other cases where a child grows and experiences muscle spasms from time to time. Any case of seizures requires careful study and follow-up.

Not every spasm is dangerous, not all are capable of somehow influencing the child’s mental and intellectual abilities in the future, and not every spasm contributes to the development of epilepsy.

Muscle spasms in more than 80% of newborns are caused by exposure to an unfavorable external factor or are physiologically explainable and not dangerous. But there remains another 20%, which can include convulsive manifestations due to diseases, pathologies of the brain, nervous system, and so on.

The mechanism of seizures in a child always lies in a disruption of the close connection between the brain, nervous system and muscles. The signal from the brain may be erroneous and may not reach the desired muscle group due to metabolic disorders or pathologies of the nervous system.

A “failure” in signal transmission may be temporary, and the brain will be able to restore it quickly enough, or it may last quite a long time.

Cramps or normal?

The majority of parents of babies are rather suspicious people. That’s why sometimes movements that have nothing to do with spasms are mistaken for spasms. Let's look at a few quite normal and healthy situations that are often perceived by parents as manifestations of a convulsive syndrome:

• The baby suddenly shudders and suddenly throws up his arms or legs in his sleep - this is the norm. The nervous system of a baby is imperfect; it is still in its infancy. Such impulses are a sign of “debugging” the work of a complex and important nervous system.
• A quivering chin, quivering lower lip, and trembling hands when crying are normal. The reason lies again in the functioning of the nervous system.
• Holding your breath. The mother may notice that the baby sometimes “forgets” to breathe in his sleep or holds his breath for a long time while crying - this is also the norm and cannot be considered convulsions.

Seizures always develop suddenly, most of them - while awake. The cramp looks unnatural. For example, with weak focal convulsions, the baby can only freeze, looking at one point, and this is already considered a muscle spasm.

With some types of convulsive syndrome, loss of consciousness occurs, with others, the child does not lose consciousness.

During an attack, the baby may take unnatural and bizarre poses, may involuntarily pee or have bowel movements, and stop breathing for a while.

To distinguish cramps from the usual actions of shuddering, it is enough to carefully observe the baby - if there is a cyclicity and a certain sequence, then we are talking about a muscle spasm.

Possible causes and symptoms by type of seizure

Seizures mostly occur in newborns and infants who were born earlier than planned, because premature babies have a weaker and more vulnerable nervous system than their peers who were born on time.

Spastic muscle contractions in the first days and months of life always have prerequisites, but doctors are unable to establish them in a quarter of cases, especially if the spasms happened once and did not recur.

The most common diseases and conditions that can lead to seizures are presented below.

Neonatal

These are muscle spasms that can accompany the first 4 weeks after the baby is born. This is a rather dangerous symptom that always has adverse consequences.

The mortality rate for neonatal seizures is about 40%. Of the surviving children, many subsequently become disabled. The cause may be birth trauma, intrauterine infection, structural abnormalities or brain tumors, severe cerebral lesions of a congenital or acquired nature during childbirth.

Convulsions appear in attacks in which the baby suddenly freezes, throws his head back, stretches out his arms, and “rolls his eyes.” Breathing may stop for a while.

Febrile

These convulsions begin against the background of 12-24 hours of elevated temperature (38.0 - 39.0 degrees and above). Fever can be a symptom of any disease, and it is almost impossible to predict the development of seizures.

If a baby has suffered febrile convulsions at least once, then the likelihood that they will recur during the next illness with fever is quite high - more than 30%.

Seizures are not particularly dangerous, only the wrong actions of adults during an attack can cause harm - attempts to hold the baby in an even position can result in fractures, and attempts to put a spoon in the mouth can result in jaw injury.

It is not difficult to recognize such spasms in a baby - the baby loses consciousness, cramps his legs, and then his arms and body, the child bends over with his chin thrown back. Then the symptoms go away in reverse order.

Metabolic disorders

Minerals and vitamins that are beneficial to the human body, as well as hormones, ensure easy transmission of signals from the brain to the muscles through nerve cells.

An excess or deficiency of certain substances causes disturbances in this interaction. Thus, seizures can occur with a deficiency of calcium, magnesium, lack of glucose, with excess sodium, with a lack of vitamin B6.

The symptoms can be very diverse - the baby’s body can suddenly tense up, or, on the contrary, relax to an unnatural state. If the child is “limp” and twitches his leg or arm, this may well be a sign lack of calcium or glucose.

Affective-respiratory

Such paroxysms are always associated with the occurrence of apnea. A baby may stop breathing due to strong emotions, when frightened, for example, while immersing the baby in water for a bath.

Convulsions may no longer appear; the condition usually does not reach the point of loss of consciousness. This type is considered the most favorable in terms of prognosis - such apneas disappear on their own after 7-8 months, and for many - earlier.

It is not difficult to recognize such attacks in an infant - The baby, at the peak of inspiration, simply stops making sounds and freezes with his mouth open, sometimes the skin of the face turns sharply blue. This manifestation is often referred to as “stuck” or “rolled”. If general convulsions occur, they are very similar to epileptic ones.

Pathologies of the central nervous system

Lesions of the central nervous system can be the result of congenital pathologies or birth injuries. Convulsive contractions of the muscles of the arms and legs are characteristic of children with hydrocephalus, traumatic brain injuries, microcephaly, and cerebral palsy.

With organic damage to the central nervous system, for example, when a baby is exposed to toxins or poisonous substances, a strong spastic attack also occurs.

Typically, convulsions are painful and frequent; the child definitely requires medical consultation and treatment with anticonvulsants.

Spasmophilia

Tetany (spasmophilia) is manifested by the tendency of children with signs of rickets to convulsions against the background of metabolic disorders. Another official name for the pathological condition is ricketogenic tetany.

It usually manifests as laryngospasm, but sometimes it can look like convulsive contractions of the muscles of the arms, legs, face, and body.

The extreme danger of tetany is somewhat exaggerated, because the tendency to convulsions goes away along with the signs of rickets as the child grows. The effect of such muscle spasms on the mental and mental development of the baby has not been convincingly proven.

What to do?

If any seizures occur in children under one year of age, parents should first call an ambulance. While the team is on call, mom and dad should refrain from using any medications.

The child must be placed comfortably laying him on his side so he doesn't choke with your own saliva or vomit if you suddenly start vomiting.

You cannot hold the baby by forcefully straightening the cramped limbs or back, so as not to injure him or cause fractures and separation of muscles from bones. Also, you shouldn’t put anything in your baby’s mouth - he doesn’t yet have a tooth to bite his tongue, and it’s basically impossible to swallow it at any age.