How does epilepsy manifest in infants? Signs and causes of epilepsy in children under one year of age and older, methods of treating the disease. General characteristics of epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic disease that manifests itself mainly in childhood. Epilepsy also occurs in newborns - and its symptoms are much more difficult to recognize than seizures in an older child. Let's talk about how to recognize epilepsy in newborns and what to do if your baby is affected by this disease.

It is believed that it is impossible not to pay attention to an epileptic seizure in a child - its course is frightening, especially if a person sees it for the first time.

That's right, but the symptoms of epilepsy directly depend on the form of the disease and the age of the child. An epileptic attack in newborns is not so spectacular:

• The child suddenly freezes.
• There is no reaction to any surrounding stimuli.
• The gaze becomes intent and frozen.
• Once the attack is over, the baby has no memory of it.

Agree, it is quite difficult to notice this and be wary. But you need to be careful - the sooner treatment begins, the more complete the result will be. An additional incentive for you should be the fact that epilepsy in newborns responds well to timely treatment - often with age there is no trace of it.

Epilepsy in newborns: first aid and subsequent treatment

It is no secret that epilepsy attacks in newborns are quite dangerous - the child does not control his body, and therefore he will need the help of adults nearby.

First aid for epilepsy in newborns

• At the first signs of an attack, the child should be placed on a wide bed or floor, making sure that there are no foreign objects within the baby’s reach that could harm him.
• To prevent suffocation, the child must be turned on his side and secured there during an active attack.
• Once the convulsions are over, the child should resume breathing on his own. If this does not happen, you need to perform artificial respiration using the “mouth to mouth” scheme.

Please note that if the attacks recur, or the baby’s breathing remains uneven and heavy, you need to call an ambulance.

Treatment of neonatal epilepsy

The problem of epilepsy in newborns should not be underestimated. This is a serious disease that occurs due to pathological discharges in the child’s brain. In addition to tangible momentary inconveniences, it brings quite dangerous consequences.

To properly treat neonatal epilepsy, you need to understand what caused its development. There are several groups of causes of this disease.

• Complicated pregnancy: hypoglycemia, oxygen deprivation of the brain, etc.
• The presence of a tumor, cyst, hemorrhage, or other damage to the baby’s brain.
• Infectious diseases: encephalitis, meningitis and others, as well as frequent colds that occur at high temperatures.
• Heredity received from one of the parents (structureless epilepsy).

It also happens that epilepsy seems to have no causes - most likely, they simply have not yet been studied.

Sometimes treatment for neonatal epilepsy requires surgery to remove a tumor or cyst. In all other cases, the doctor prescribes anticonvulsants: sodium valproate, carbamazeline and phenobarbital. Please note that the treatment of epilepsy in newborns must be strict - despite the fact that it lasts quite a long time, not a single day should be missed. Conscientious and correct treatment will certainly be crowned with success - attacks will occur less and less often, and then completely disappear. Here, not only medicine is on your side, but also time - as the baby grows up, the convulsive readiness of his muscles decreases.

Epilepsy in children is one of the most common chronic neurological pathologies. In most cases (80%), it begins to appear in childhood. Timely detection makes it possible to carry out more effective treatment, which will allow the patient to lead a full life in the future.

Epilepsy is a serious disease that requires serious medical treatment.

General characteristics of epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological disease that is chronic. Characterized by the sudden onset of epileptic seizures associated with a disorder of brain activity.

During a paroxysmal attack, the patient cannot control himself; motor, thinking and sensory functions are disabled. It is almost impossible to predict its occurrence, since the disease is one of the poorly studied and is mainly transmitted at the genetic level.

Epilepsy is more often diagnosed in children. If we consider at what specific age it can manifest itself, then there is no clear answer. Basically, the disease is detected from the age of 5 to 18 years.

Causes of the disease

The child’s brain is endowed with bioelectrical activity, which is why certain electrical discharges occur with a clear frequency. If the baby is healthy and there are no abnormalities in the functioning of the brain, then these processes do not provoke abnormal changes in the condition.

Epileptic seizures occur when electrical discharges vary in strength and frequency. Depending on which part of the cerebral cortex pathological discharges are formed, the course of the disease differs.

The causes of epilepsy include:

• defects in the structure of the brain;
• pathological processes during labor;
• Down's disease;
• conjugation jaundice in infants;
• abnormalities in the formation of the brain;
• concussions, traumatic brain injuries (we recommend reading:);
• heredity;
• diseases of the central nervous system accompanied by a severe course (convulsions, high temperature, chills, fever);
• infectious/viral diseases of brain structures.

Main symptoms of the disease in children

Since the concept of “epilepsy” includes about 60 types of disease, it is difficult to determine it by individual characteristics. Many parents believe that this pathology manifests itself only in the form of epileptic seizures, so they do not attach importance to some alarming signals. For each age, children have main distinctive symptoms that can be independently recognized.

Symptoms of the disease in infants are not always recognized on time, which is why special monitoring is required for children in the first years of life.

Features of the manifestation of epilepsy in infants

Pathology in newborns and children under one year of age manifests itself in the same way. Parents should immediately consult a doctor if the following signals are observed:

• blueness of the circumlabial triangle during feeding;
• involuntary twitching of limbs;
• focusing the gaze at one point;
• the baby does not respond to sounds for several minutes, begins to cry, and spontaneous bowel movements are possible;
• the muscles on the face go numb, then quickly contract.

Signs of the disease in older children

Schoolchildren and adolescents often experience worsening behavior; because of their illness, they become irritable and aggressive, and their mood changes dramatically. Such children definitely need the help of a psychologist, otherwise it will affect the mental and physical health of the child. Parents should provide their child with support and care so that relationships with peers, studies and free time do not cause negative outbursts.

The frequency of attacks may increase. It is necessary to control the intake of pills, as children often deliberately neglect this.

Types and forms of epilepsy

There are more than 40 types of epilepsy. The classification of the disease depends on several factors - characteristic symptoms, localization of the pathological area, the dynamics of the pathology and the age when the first epileptic signs are detected. The main types of the disease are symptomatic epilepsy in children, rolandic, nocturnal, etc.

Type of epilepsy	Peculiarities	Symptoms
Idiopathic	With idiopathic epilepsy, the patient does not have obvious neurological or mental abnormalities. Intellectual and psychomotor development corresponds to age (more details in the article:). The main causes of this type of pathology are hereditary predisposition, congenital abnormalities of the brain, the toxic effects of alcohol and medications, and neuropsychiatric diseases.	periodic spasms of 2 types – tonic (straightened limbs, some muscles are completely immobilized) and clonic (muscles spontaneously contract) (we recommend reading:); in case of loss of consciousness, breathing is temporarily absent; increased salivation; loss of memory during an attack.
Rolandic	The focus of the pathology is located in the Rolandic sulcus of the brain. This type of epilepsy manifests itself in a child from 3 to 13 years of age; by the age of 16, seizures completely disappear. During a seizure, the patient's muscles of the face and limbs are more involved.	the lower area of ​​the face and tongue are immobilized; inability to reproduce speech; the attack lasts 3-5 minutes, loss of memory and consciousness does not occur; the patient feels a tingling sensation in the mouth and throat; leg and arm cramps; salivation increases; attacks occur more often at night.
Symptomatic	It almost never occurs in children; it is diagnosed after the age of 20, as it develops as a result of past illnesses. The development of symptomatic epilepsy is caused by: traumatic brain injuries; brain tumors, poor circulation, aneurysm, stroke; infectious and inflammatory processes; intoxication with poisons.	With symptomatic epilepsy, various attacks appear, which differ in their course, symptoms and duration, for example: opercular; adversive; partial; motor, etc.
Cryptogenic	The most common type of disease (60%). The diagnosis of “cryptogenic epilepsy” is made when it is not possible to determine the cause that triggered the development of the disease. It is characterized by various symptoms and an increase in the affected area.	speech disorder; hallucinations (visual, gustatory); unstable blood pressure; problems with the intestines (nausea, frequent urge to bowel movement, etc.); chills; increased sweating.
Night	Nocturnal epilepsy is a type of frontal epilepsy. The attacks occur exclusively at night. They are characterized by painlessness, because arousal does not cover a specific area. With high-quality therapy, complete elimination of the disease is possible.	enuresis; nocturnal seizures; parasomnias (trembling of the limbs during awakening or sleep); sleepwalking; poor sleep, talking in your sleep; severe irritability and aggression; nightmares.
Absence	A mild form of the disease, diagnosed less often in boys than in girls. The first signs are detected at 5-8 years. In the future, they pass independently during puberty or flow into another form.	“freezing” of the gaze; turns of the head are carried out synchronously with the rotation of the limbs; causeless deterioration in health (gastrointestinal problems, vomiting, high body temperature, fever); the attacks are not remembered.

The absence form of the disease manifests itself at 5-8 years of age.

The disease is classified not only by type; there are several forms. Depending on the area of ​​the affected area, the course of the attacks will differ. There are 4 forms of epilepsy:

Form of epilepsy	Peculiarities	Symptoms
Frontal	Foci of pathology are located in the frontal lobes; the first signs may appear regardless of the patient’s age. It is very difficult to treat, so doctors often resort to surgery. Paroxysms in frontal lobe epilepsy last about 30 seconds and occur mainly at night.	convulsions; specific gestures; coordination disorder; salivation; trembling of arms and legs; opening of the head and eyes; a large number of seizures, which vary according to the signs and condition of the patient.
Temporal	The name indicates the area affected (temporal). The attacks almost always pass without the appearance of convulsions. Temporal lobe epilepsy is curable, but requires compliance with all doctor’s recommendations; sometimes it is treated surgically (removal of lesions).	the child remembers all his actions and emotions during the attack; hallucinations are difficult to distinguish from reality; sleepwalking; frequent feeling of repeating what is happening; physiological disorders (jumps in blood pressure, severe sweating, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, etc.); obsessive thoughts, rapid mood swings (we recommend reading:).
Occipital	It appears in newborns, adolescents and mature people. The reason is a genetic predisposition or a consequence of injuries and infectious and inflammatory diseases.	visual hallucinations (colored spots, circles, flashes); loss of areas from the field of view; frequent blinking; twitching of eyeballs.
Parietal	The focus of the pathology is in the crown. The main characteristic feature of this form is that the patient often experiences various sensations - pain, burning, uncontrolled movements and strange postures, etc.	paresthesia, numbness of some areas; disturbance of consciousness; poor sleep; dizziness; loss of orientation in space; frozen look.

Types of seizures in children

Seizures are often accompanied by involuntary urination

The following forms are distinguished:

• Infantile spasm - manifestations begin between 2 and 6 years of age. The attack appears immediately after sleep, is expressed in shaking (nodding) of the head, while the arms are brought to the chest. Lasts for several seconds.
• Atonic attacks - look like regular fainting.
• Seizures last from 30 seconds to 25 minutes. Initially, muscle cramps appear, breathing is almost absent. Convulsions may be accompanied by enuresis.
• Non-convulsive seizures (absences) are observed from the age of 5. The baby throws his head back for 20-30 seconds, his eyelids are closed and tremble a little.

Diagnosis of the disease

If parents notice signs of epilepsy in their child, they should contact a neurologist to undergo a series of diagnostic procedures. Deviations in children's behavior do not always indicate the presence of a disease.

This can be either a variant of the norm (for example, in infants it is very easy to confuse increased motor activity with signs of epilepsy) or a symptom of other neurological pathologies. Diagnostic methods used in modern medicine:

• encephalography;
• deprivation, photostimulation, sleep hyperventilation;
• EEG video monitoring and EEG of night sleep (we recommend reading:).

If a disease is suspected, the child undergoes a CT scan or MRI of the brain (we recommend reading:)

In some cases, the doctor prescribes a repeat examination, because epileptiform activity in a child is possible even without the presence of this disease. Diagnostics will help confirm/refute the diagnosis, prescribe effective treatment and monitor the dynamics of the pathology.

Treatment of epilepsy

When a diagnosis is made, the doctor prescribes effective treatment to eliminate the cause that provokes unpleasant symptoms and paroxysms caused by incorrect activation of neurons. In modern medicine, several treatment methods are used (mono/polytherapy, non-drug treatment and surgery).

Therapy for each patient is selected individually, the specialist takes into account the severity of symptoms, frequency and severity of seizures. The course lasts from 2 to 4 years, sometimes lifelong treatment is required. Regardless of the doctor’s prescriptions, the patient should additionally follow the following recommendations:

• correct daily routine;
• a special (ketogenic) diet (we recommend reading:);
• if necessary, visit a psychologist.

First aid during a seizure

It is impossible to predict the occurrence of an attack, so parents need to know the rules that must be followed during it. Knowing and applying the recommendations will help provide high-quality first aid to the child without causing harm to health.

Algorithm of actions:

• Place the baby on a flat, not high surface;
• you can turn your head and torso to the side so that vomit does not enter the respiratory tract;
• if there is no natural flow of fresh air, open the window;
• you should not try to stop a seizure or insert a hard object into your mouth;
• If the attack lasts more than 5 minutes, call an ambulance.

Use of drugs

Drug treatment is prescribed in a course that varies from several months to several years. Its main task is to reduce the frequency of attacks and gain control over them. Usually this method is enough for the patient to get better; in 30% of all cases, complete recovery is achieved.

The doctor prescribes anticonvulsants. Reception begins with a small dose, the dosage is gradually increased. Today the following medications are used:

• Diazepam;
• Luminals;
• Tegretol;
• Convulex;
• Phenlepsin;
• Depakine;
• Levetiracetam;
• Oxcarbazepine;
• Lamotrigine;
• Difenin.

Non-drug methods

The main method of non-drug therapy is the ketogenic diet. The foods consumed must have the correct ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats (for 1 gram of protein and carbohydrates, 4 grams of fat). The following methods are also used to help treat the disease: biofeedback therapy, immunotherapy, psychotherapy and hormones.

Surgical intervention

Surgery is performed only as a last resort. It is effective in the treatment of symptomatic epilepsy, which is provoked by the appearance of neoplasms (frontal, temporal form). The following surgical methods are used:

• extratemporal resection;
• hemispherectomy;
• anterior temporal lobectomy;
• installation of implants to stimulate the vagus nerve;
• limited temporal resection.

Prognosis for recovery and prevention

In children under one year of age, treatment is most successful; complete recovery is achieved, especially if the cause of epilepsy is heredity. Such children are no different from their peers and develop according to their age.

Taking anticonvulsant drugs during adolescence in 75% of cases can relieve all symptoms, eliminate the occurrence of seizures and completely cure the patient. If you follow the recommendations, the prognosis for the future is favorable.

The brain is a collection of huge numbers of neurons. As a result of the passage of impulses, periodic excitation of nerve cells and initiation of information from them to organs occurs. The purpose of impulse transmission is to perform any organ function. The period between the transmission of impulses - the so-called “rest” - is the time when the neuron is not capable of transmitting an impulse.

Epilepsy is a state of constant excitation in a cluster of neurons (focus). The neurons surrounding the focus temporarily manage to restrain their excitation, but periodically an electrical impulse breaks through from the focus, followed by excitation of all structural elements of the brain.

An epileptic attack occurs precisely at this moment and is clinically manifested in children by symptoms of loss of consciousness, muscle contraction, involuntary defecation and urination.

Total excitation of neurons is slowly replaced by a process of extinction. Single contractions of individual muscle groups are the result of this “exhaustion.” How does the next stage of epilepsy manifest in children? According to the “sleep mode” type: the child begins to become aware of what is happening, may complain of muscle weakness, as well as pain in some muscle groups, resulting from their excessive work during contraction. Children are drowsy, lethargic and usually do not remember anything that happened.

On average, regardless of race, the incidence of epilepsy around the world is about 0.6-1% of the population. The annually registered incidence of epilepsy ranges from 20 to 120 new cases per 100 thousand population per year. Data on the number of reported febrile seizures is not included in the statistics.

It is often noted to be compatible with the following pathologies - cerebral palsy, hereditary metabolic disorders, chromosomal syndromes. Almost every third child with cerebral palsy suffers from epilepsy. The first symptoms of epilepsy in children may appear during the neonatal period (the first month of life). The risk of developing seizures is maximum in the next life period - from 1 year to 9 years. If you count all the seizures that occur in a person over the entire period of life, half of them occur before the age of 15 years.

Genetic predisposition is a significant but not decisive factor. For symptomatic forms of epilepsy, the main causes are the following:

• intrauterine infections (in particular cytomegalovirus infection (CMV));
• chromosomal syndromes;
• CNS injuries due to childbirth;
• fetal development abnormalities;
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI);
• brain tumors;

It is necessary to very carefully monitor the behavior of the newborn, since the symptoms displayed are atypical. Main phenomena: absence of any reaction to external stimuli, absence of oculomotor and swallowing reactions.

Convulsive readiness in early childhood is due to incomplete development of the brain, insufficient inhibition processes, as well as a peculiar metabolism. Early childhood is characterized by clinical manifestations that are borderline in nature. That is, they may be the first signs of epilepsy developing in children, or they may not have a direct connection with it.

Such borderline conditions are called febrile paroxysms, which occur against the background of hyperthermia caused by ARVI or any other infection.

Of fundamental importance for prognosis of the course of the disease is the differential diagnosis of simple and complex seizures that develop as a consequence of fever.

Their differences are primarily in the frequency of occurrence. 9 out of 10 of all febrile paroxysms are simple. They are characterized by the following features:

• short duration of the course (no more than 15 minutes);
• episodes are isolated;
• generalized paroxysms of a tonic-clonic nature (stretching and tension of the limbs, accompanied by their symmetrical twitching, as well as loss of consciousness).

Complex seizures are characterized by:

• relatively long duration (from 15 minutes);
• repeatability throughout the day;
• focal (focal) character - looking away to the side or up, twitching of one or even part of a limb, frozen gaze.

The prognosis is usually favorable. At the age of 5-6 years, their independent disappearance occurs. In 4-5% of children with a history of febrile seizures, their subsequent transformation into epilepsy is noted.

This applies mainly to complex febrile seizures. Therefore, increased attention from a pediatrician and neurologist will help recognize epilepsy in children who have suffered an episode of complex seizures that developed as a result of a febrile syndrome at least once in their lives.

"Random" seizures are possible in the following situations:

• poisoning of various origins;
• electric shock;
• sun and heatstroke;
• deficiency of minerals in the blood (calcium, magnesium);
• hypoglycemia in children with diabetes.

The main signs of the difference between epilepsy and seizures in children:

• repeatability;
• There are no factors provoking the development of attacks.

The timeliness and reliability of establishing a diagnosis of epilepsy and its specific form is the task of an epileptologist. The treatment tactics and prognosis of the disease entirely depend on this.

Very often, the determining factor in making a correct diagnosis is objective, reliable information provided to the doctor by the patient’s relatives.
How to determine epilepsy in a child? Extremely important in diagnosis is:

• time of the first appearance of an epileptic attack;
• its duration (seconds or minutes);
• character (position of the eyes and head, movements of the limbs, relaxation or tension of the body, size of the pupils and color of the skin, whether the child is conscious or not during an attack);
• possible provocative factors (poor sleep, stress, bright irritating light, passion for computer games, mensis, etc.);
• features of behavioral reactions before the paroxysm and after its completion (sleep, wakefulness, anxiety, excitability, the presence of an “aura”, etc.);
• time frame of convulsions (before or after waking up, during the day, before falling asleep, at night).

The debut of Rolandic epilepsy in children occurs at the age of 2-14 years, with a maximum debut at 9-10 years. The children had normal intelligence, with no history of pathological changes in the nervous system, but there were patients with epilepsy in the family (the older generation).

Symptoms: motor and somatosensory, localized mainly in the facial area. Often - dysphagia, hypersalivation, unilateral cheek numbness, paresthesia and tonic contractions of the tongue. Sometimes the limbs on the same side are involved in the process.
Symptoms of nocturnal epilepsy in children are often mild in nature and manifest themselves in unusual positions during sleep. At the same time, tension occurs in various parts of the body, and the mouth becomes distorted. When children wake up, they cannot say anything, although they are conscious.
“Epistatus” is characterized by a duration of more than 15 minutes, as well as a lack of consciousness in the intervening period.

This condition is critical and life-threatening due to the possibility of developing cerebral edema. The development of status epilepticus is a direct indication for hospitalization.

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is an important diagnostic method included in the neurological examination of a child with a first unprovoked seizure. Its value lies in identifying possible risks of relapse, as well as in identifying specific focal anomalies. It is also important in assessing the effectiveness of treatment. This type of research is most informative when carried out during a paroxysm. The method is safe, non-invasive and painless.

Recently, a technique called EEG - video monitoring has been used, which is a simultaneous recording of an attack and EEG registration. In case of pathological changes in the neurological status, an MRI is prescribed for further examination. This research method is more informative and safe compared to CT. To perform MRI on infants with signs of epilepsy, they are put into medicated sleep due to their inability to remain still during the study period.

Rules of behavior and emergency care for epilepsy in children:

1. If it is preceded by an aura, it is necessary to place the child on the floor or on the bed, on his back, freeing him from restrictive clothing and unbuttoning his collar.
2. There should be no damaging objects nearby. It should also be isolated from water.
3. Calmness, absence of panic and chaotic movements. This is the only way you can control the situation. Record the start and end time of the attack.
4. The head should be turned to the side to prevent tongue retraction and saliva aspiration.
5. If vomiting begins, keep him in a position on his side.
6. There should be no foreign objects in the mouth area (spatula, spoon)!
7. Your presence is necessary until the convulsions are completely completed.
8. Do not give anticonvulsants prescribed by your doctor by mouth - the child will not be able to swallow them, and the effect will not come soon, after 30 minutes.
9. Do not disturb the child; if he falls asleep after an attack, let him sleep.
10. If a febrile attack is suspected, body temperature must be measured.
11. The preferred route of administration is the rectal route. Advantages: safe, fast, simple. No special skills or sterile conditions are needed.
    The dose of diazepam in suppositories is 0.2-0.5 mg per 1 kg of body weight.

Undoubtedly. The reason is that it is necessary to break the vicious circle when the previous attack gives the green light to the next one. If therapy is not prescribed on time, it leads to the development of mental retardation and delayed development of psychomotor skills. The main condition for prescribing drugs with anticonvulsant action: repeated, stereotypical, spontaneously occurring seizures.

Defining principles of therapeutic care for epilepsy:

• monotherapy, that is, treatment with one anticonvulsant;
• starting therapy with a minimum dose, then switching to a sufficient therapeutic dose;
• two drugs can be prescribed only if monotherapy is ineffective;
• individual approach, matching the drug to the form of epilepsy and the type of seizures;
• regularity of intake;
• long course of therapy (at least 3 years);
• changing the dose or discontinuing the drug is carried out only by the attending physician.

The consequences of epileptic seizures can vary dramatically, primarily depending on their duration and frequency. If it is a single short-term fatal effect on the brain, it usually does not have a fatal effect, but prolonged paroxysms, including epistatus, can lead to the inevitable death of nerve cells.

Social consequences also have a pronounced negative connotation. The child is haunted by the fear of having an attack in a public place, and the fear of rejection of his condition by friends and classmates. Therefore, many withdraw into themselves, trying to lead a secluded, closed lifestyle. For many, this condition is a life tragedy. But the consequences of sudden epileptic convulsions with loss of consciousness are especially dangerous. They lead to bruises, injuries, and fatal accidents.

The dream of every expectant mother is to give birth to a strong, healthy baby. But not always, even after a healthy pregnancy, following a proper diet and daily routine, a child is born without pathologies.

One of the disorders that can appear in the first days of a baby’s life is epilepsy. To ease the course of the disease, it is necessary to know the signs of epilepsy in infants and the manifestations of the pathology.

In 45% of cases in infants, epilepsy occurs after severe fright, environmental influences, or illness.

But this is only part of the reasons that provoke symptoms of chronic epilepsy in a newly born baby; nervous attacks can be caused by:

1. Disturbances in the formation of the brain in the prenatal period. The culprit for this is the adult - the mother, who abuses strong alcohol, smokes and takes drugs. Less often, such disorders become a consequence of late pregnancy - the older the woman giving birth, the higher the risk of the disease. Even less often, the fetal brain is formed incorrectly due to preeclampsia or acute respiratory infections suffered by the expectant mother.
2. The peculiarity of the course of labor is a long anhydrous period, the use of obstetric forceps to remove the fetus from the womb, asphyxia or hypoxia, prolonged passage through the birth canal, blunt head injuries in the first minutes of life.
3. Idiopathic grounds - the child may have low levels of dopamine, which is responsible for inhibiting processes in the brain. In this case, the disease is inherited.
4. Deficiency of micro- and macroelements in the mother's womb. It is important for a pregnant woman to maintain normal levels of zinc and magnesium in the body.

Also, epilepsy in newborns can become the basis of malignant formations in the head area or a previous infectious disease - encephalitis, meningitis, encephalomyelitis.

Doctors are not omnipotent, so there is another reason for the occurrence of convulsive attacks - cryptogenic, that is, without explanation.

A baby in the first 12 months of life is very different from a child 2-3 years old: he often screams, flinches, and makes unconscious movements.

Therefore, it can be difficult for parents to recognize the signs of nervous epilepsy in newborns, but it is possible to recognize the following manifestations:

1. Sudden freezing, the baby concentrates on one point. Chaotic facial expressions and a grimace appear on the face.
2. Lack of response of the child to external stimuli - voice, light, movements around.
3. The gaze freezes, the eyes become like glass. A frightening visual sign is that the eyes roll behind the upper eyelids.

Along with these signs, others appear: increased body temperature, involuntary acts of urination and defecation, difficulty breathing or its complete stop, convulsions (from 2 to 20 minutes). The newborn may also lose consciousness. After the seizure ends, the baby continues to behave as usual.

The course of epilepsy attacks in children under 12 months varies - the duration and symptoms depend on the form of the disease. There are the following types of pathology: absence, idiopathic, rolandic and cryptogenic. Cryptogenic, absence and idiopathic varieties occur in newborns.

In the absence form, the attack is accompanied by body immobility, gaze stopping, severe muscle tension, the head and limbs are turned in one direction.

At the end of the seizure, the child does not remember the symptoms that appear; pain in the abdomen and head, nausea, and increased body temperature may remind of a recent incident.

The idiopathic form is more frightening: infants may foam at the mouth, sometimes red due to a bitten tongue. Stopping breathing and loss of consciousness can also accompany an attack. The cryptogenic variety combines the two above-mentioned forms.

Doctors identify another mild form of pathology - infantile spasm, which in 90% of cases disappears before 4-5 years.

Signs of a spasm: the arms are involuntarily pressed to the chest, the head or the entire torso leans forward strongly, the legs straighten sharply. The baby may also twitch its head.

Manifestations are often noticeable in the morning, after a night's sleep. It is important to distinguish pathological manifestations from normal physiological processes in time: the reaction of a tiny organism to colic, teething, the desire to eat or drink, a dirty diaper.

In cases where epilepsy in children under one year of age was not recognized in time, complications are possible. Parents can help a specialist correctly diagnose the pathology if they remember the smallest details of the baby’s condition.

The first is the period of occurrence of the first attack, its duration and nature. By character we mean muscle tone (weak, strong), head position, direction of gaze and pupil size.

An attack in a newborn may also be preceded by poor sleep, addiction to computer games or television, and frequent stress.

Parents need to know how to recognize epilepsy in order to avoid negative consequences and timely treatment. If measures are not taken in time, they cause damage to nerve cells and sometimes their death. A child in an epileptic seizure can get hurt or severely bruised.

Regular repetition of convulsive conditions leads to mood disorders, poor appetite, and sleep disorders. In the future, a “special” child may lag behind in physical and mental development.

Epilepsy can manifest itself immediately after childbirth, when a doctor is nearby. Only a specialist will help recognize the pathology, help eliminate or alleviate the symptoms.

Upon returning home from the maternity hospital or hospital, parents should remember the rules of behavior during a seizure.

The first thing to do is to lay the baby on a flat, hard surface and make sure that there are no traumatic objects nearby. Lying on the side will help ease the attack - after turning the child, you need to keep him in this state until he completely calms down.

An important point is to monitor the baby’s breathing after freezing appears. If it does not recover on its own, it is necessary to “start” the breathing apparatus using the artificial method – “mouth to mouth”. It is best to show the baby to a specialist who will prescribe anticonvulsant medications.

Regular use of such medications will reduce the frequency of seizures and alleviate symptoms. The main method of prevention is early diagnosis with immediate treatment.

New mothers and fathers should remember that the earlier the disease is diagnosed and its treatment begins, the higher the likelihood that at an older age the baby will not feel constrained when surrounded by peers.

Do not neglect the demands of doctors to undergo the necessary studies based on small alarming manifestations - frequent convulsive shudders, screams in sleep. Only professional medical intervention will help solve the problem.

Quite often, premature babies develop epilepsy, which is accompanied by a convulsive state. Normally, at the 5th month, when the fetus develops, myelin forms around the nerve fibers and dendrites form. In case of violations, convulsions appear, the first symptoms of epilepsy in a newborn. How dangerous is the disease? How to treat it correctly? What consequences might there be in the future?

Pathological attacks of epilepsy are a consequence of pathological electrical discharges in the central nervous system. In addition, epilepsy in infants is caused by the following diseases:

• Fetal hypoxia.
• A sharp drop in blood sugar.
• Ischemic stroke.
• Intracranial hemorrhage.
• Tumor.
• Meningitis.
• Developmental defects.
• Encephalitis.
• Sepsis.

Recently, experts were able to prove: epilepsy in infants is a consequence of hypoxia and ischemia. In this situation, getting rid of seizures is quite difficult. Please note that if a newborn has thrombophilia, polycythemia, or severe hypotension, this can all result in an ischemic stroke.

When seizures are associated with a stroke, focal epilepsy is diagnosed. It can lead to apnea - stopping breathing. With diabetes mellitus, the infant develops hypoglycemia. In addition, the pathological condition can be the cause of lactic acidosis and intrauterine malnutrition.

It is dangerous if a premature baby begins to bleed; it leads to hemorrhage in the brain and other internal organs. During intravenous infusion of Sodium Chloride, overload may occur, subsequently hypernatremia. The problem arises if the drug is prescribed in a large dosage.

In addition, epilepsy in a newborn is caused by hypocalcemia, which is associated with the fact that the child was born prematurely and was also injured during childbirth. Hypomagnesemia is rarely the cause of an epileptic seizure; it often accompanies hypercalcemia.

In babies who have recently been born, seizures are focal, so they are quite difficult to notice immediately. Parents should pay attention to the following manifestations:

• Involuntary twitching that can occur in different places.
• Sudden cessation of breathing.
• The child constantly moves his jaw, as if chewing food.
• There is no reaction to light, some constantly look at one point.

As a rule, symptoms of epilepsy in a newborn appear after a stroke. In many children, the central nervous system is affected by various infections. Subsequently, the temperature rises, urination and defecation are impaired. The child may suddenly lose consciousness.

To determine the type and nature of the disease, a complete examination is carried out. Epilepsy in children is determined using an EEG. Various laboratory methods are also used. Ultrasound and CT are of no small importance. It is often difficult to diagnose the disease because the infant does not have seizures.

Determining the level of calcium, magnesium, and protein is of no small importance. A study is carried out not only of feces, but also of urine. It is imperative to undergo various tests for bacteria and viruses.

Please note that everything depends on the form of the disease. When epilepsy is a consequence of serious hemorrhage, the prognosis is poor. If the seizures are associated with a stroke, an infection that has negatively affected the central nervous system.

In a newborn, epilepsy is treated using anticonvulsants. When the doctor determines that there is little glucose in the blood, he injects a dextrose solution intravenously. Then he carefully monitors the patient.

For hypocalcemia, calcium gluconate is administered. In cases where the symptoms of epilepsy in a baby are caused by an infection, the doctor prescribes antibiotics.

If convulsions do not go away for a long time, Phenobarbital is prescribed. After the seizures have stopped, the doctor prescribes this drug again, only in tablets. When the drug is ineffective, Phenytoin is additionally prescribed at a dosage of 20 mg RE. It is very important to prevent the development of hypotension and arrhythmia; in this case, the drug is administered slowly.

The duration of treatment is individual, it all depends on the patient’s condition. Recently, modern pharmacological agents have been used in therapy. Doctors conducted a study and found out how intravenous drugs affect babies. It turned out that when there is a heavy load, breathing problems arise.

Please note that sometimes cramps lead to numbness and distortion of the face. The symptom is dangerous because it often bothers you at night while sleeping, and parents may not even notice it.

It is very important to take immediate action:

• Lay the child on the floor or on a wide sofa, while making sure that there are no various dangerous objects, otherwise he may get hurt or hit.
• Turn the child onto his side to prevent suffocation during an active attack.
• After the convulsions have passed, breathing should have time to recover. If this does not happen, perform mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration.
• Stay calm, there should be no panic, otherwise you will not be able to keep the situation under control.
• When your baby starts vomiting, be sure to keep him on his side.
• If a child falls asleep after an attack, he should not be disturbed.
• During a febrile attack, monitor your temperature.

So, epilepsy in a newborn is a rather dangerous disease that must always be kept under control. If you notice the first signs, you need to take immediate action in every possible way. For prevention purposes, a pregnant woman should take her health seriously and completely abandon all bad habits. Take care of the mental and physical health of your children!

Epilepsy in newborns and children under one year of age manifests itself somewhat differently than in adults.

Often parents do not notice alarming symptoms, perceiving them as features of infant behavior.

In addition, seizures are not always of an epileptic nature. Therefore, it is important to carefully examine the baby; the experienced eye of a doctor will always notice the characteristic signs of epilepsy in an infant.

According to medical statistics, epilepsy in infancy is much more common than in adults.

This is explained by the immaturity of brain structures, so the brain is sensitive to any irritants and reacts by increasing convulsive activity.

The positive point here is that in 70% of those affected during puberty, attacks disappear as the brain reaches its maturity.

The main causes of epilepsy in newborns:

1. Hereditary factor. It has been proven that a child whose parents are sick has a higher risk of inheriting a tendency to pathology.
2. Birth injury. The risk increases with prolonged labor, the use of vacuum extraction, and entanglement of the umbilical cord. If the mother has a narrow pelvis, the baby's head is compressed during birth and the brain may be damaged.
3. Neuroinfections. Diseases such as meningitis, encephalitis, and influenza are very dangerous for a fragile child’s body. Seizures are often complications of these diseases.
4. Head injuries. For a child, any bruise can become an impetus for the development of serious pathologies.
5. Underdevelopment of the brain. Seizures occur especially often in premature babies.
6. Genetic diseases, in which chromosomal pathology is observed (Down's disease).
7. Idiopathic causes. A baby is born with a lack of dopamine, which is responsible for regulating the processes of excitation and inhibition.

Provoking factors for the development of epilepsy in newborns are:

1. Bad habits of the mother during pregnancy.
2. Infectious diseases suffered by the woman (influenza, rubella, mumps).
3. Sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, ureaplasma, syphilis, hepatitis).
4. Use of medications during pregnancy.
5. Serious chronic diseases of a woman leading to fetal hypoxia (heart disease, kidney dysfunction).
6. Long anhydrous period during childbirth.
7. Use of general anesthesia for caesarean section.

How does epilepsy manifest in infants?

The behavior of a newborn child, unlike children 2-3 years old, is accompanied by screams, shudders, and chaotic movements.

Therefore, parents do not immediately notice that the baby is sick. Moreover, attacks often occur during sleep.

Until a child is one year old, the disease manifests itself in small and large epileptic seizures.

Symptoms of minor seizures:

1. Freezing in one position.
2. Throwing back the head.
3. Lack of response to external stimuli.
4. A gaze fixed on one point.
5. Temperature increase.
6. Rolling eyes.
7. Nodding head.

Grand mal seizures occur more vividly:

1. Sharp stretching of the body.
2. The child sharply bends his legs and presses them to his stomach.
3. The baby suddenly loses consciousness.
4. The child begins to have convulsions and stops breathing.

Night attacks manifest themselves as follows:

1. The child suddenly wakes up and screams.
2. The baby's face contorts and his torso tenses.
3. After an attack, the child may fall asleep silently from fear.

Often such children experience developmental delays, memory impairment, and mental problems.

Parents should always be wary of strange behavior in their infants:

1. Constant head nodding.
2. Shoulder twitching.
3. Sudden freezing.
4. Blueness of the nasolabial triangle during feeding.

If such symptoms appear, parents should contact a neurologist; if necessary, the doctor will recommend a consultation with an epileptologist.

Diagnosis of infantile epilepsy is somewhat difficult. First of all, it is necessary to differentiate true epileptic seizures from increased neuro-reflex excitability. The latter differs in that the movements of the limbs stop if they are held by hands.

To clarify the diagnosis, the following diagnostic methods are required:

• electroencephalogram;
• MRI, CT scan of the brain;
• Ultrasound of the brain.

These studies can detect cysts, neoplasms, hemorrhages, and dropsy. EEG reveals foci of excitability.

It should be carried out during sleep and wakefulness, since convulsive activity can only be recorded during sleep. In addition, it is necessary to conduct a blood test for the levels of glucose, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and protein.

Treatment of the disease in infants begins with normalizing the daily routine.

The baby should go to bed, wake up, and eat at approximately the same time.

The child should be protected from sharp sounds, flashes of light, and nervous shocks. You need to limit the amount of salt and carbohydrates in your diet.

Doctors are of the opinion that any form of epilepsy should be treated with anticonvulsants. The medicine is selected individually.

Without medication, the disease will progress, and the chances of recovery during adolescence will be significantly reduced.

The following drugs are approved for use in infants:

• Gluferal;
• Convulex;
• Depakine.

Therapy begins with a minimum dosage, gradually increasing. The duration of treatment ranges from one to three years.

At the same time, nootropics (Pantogam) are prescribed. It improves cerebral circulation, eliminates the effects of hypoxia, and prevents cognitive impairment.

Surgical treatment is used if the cause of the attacks is a tumor in the brain.

Often parents, when faced with a child’s epileptic seizure for the first time, are confused and behave incorrectly.

First aid during an attack:

1. Place the child on a horizontal surface.
2. Remove all objects that could injure him.
3. Turn your head to the side to prevent choking on saliva and tongue sticking.
4. You cannot hold the baby, press his arms and legs.
5. You should not give water or milk during a seizure, as the baby may choke.
6. Monitor your breathing closely.
7. After a seizure, let the child sleep.
8. If the attack lasts longer than 5 minutes, call an ambulance immediately.

The need for treatment of epilepsy is due to the development of serious complications. The most dangerous consequences of the disease:

1. Epistatus is a condition in which seizures occur one after another without stopping.
2. Injury during an attack.
3. Developmental delay.
4. Mental disorders.
5. Transition from childhood epilepsy to adult epilepsy.
6. Death due to suffocation.

The task of parents is to strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations and give the child prescribed medications strictly on schedule.

In 75% of cases, symptoms disappear by adolescence and never return. Read about teenage epilepsy, its causes and types here.

The sooner treatment is started, the greater the likelihood of full recovery.

Parents should regularly visit a pediatric neurologist, epileptologist, and undergo an EEG. Such children can attend regular kindergartens if the attacks are infrequent and mild.

Swimming lessons help a lot, but the lessons should be supervised by an instructor.

You need to take a long walk in the fresh air with your child and engage in outdoor games.

Epilepsy in children under one year of age is tolerated and treated better than in adults.

Disability is assigned patients with regular frequent seizures and persistent mental disorders. Their number does not exceed 10% of all cases.

Doctors have found that out of the total number of newborns, 1.4% have seizures. At the same time, premature babies have more seizures – 20%. The period from birth to 28 days is called neonatal. This is when complications arise that cause convulsions. Most of them are focal (i.e. focal). At the 5th month of fetal development, myelin begins to form around the nerve fibers, as well as dendrites. If these processes are disrupted, this will most likely lead to the appearance of seizures, as symptoms of epilepsy in newborns. But most often, the activity of epileptiform is not detected by clear signs.

Seizures are caused by pathological electrical discharges in the central nervous system. Epilepsy in infants can be caused by the following:

• Hypoglycemia (drop in blood sugar).
• Hypocalcemia.
• Hypoxia.
• Hyponatremia.
• Ischemic stroke.
• Ischemia.
• Hemorrhage inside the skull.
• Meningitis.
• Tumors.
• Developmental defects.
• Sepsis.
• Encephalitis.

It is believed that intracranial processes and systemic pathologies have different clinical pictures.

Doctors have found that epilepsy in infants is most often caused by ischemia and hypoxia. These seizures are very difficult to treat, but it has been noted that they may decrease. If the newborn has one of the following pathologies:

• Polycythemia;
• Thrombophilia (associated with genetic abnormalities);
• If hypotension is severe, he will most likely develop an ischemic stroke. However, observations have shown that this pathology also occurs in children who are not at risk.

If the seizure is associated with a stroke, then it is focal and can cause temporary cessation of breathing (apnea). If the mother had diabetes mellitus, her newborn will develop hypoglycemia. In addition, the latter occurs due to galactosemia or lactic acidosis, as well as intrauterine malnutrition. Convulsions are focal (focal) or may be variable (variable).

In the terminal matrix, a premature baby may experience bleeding, which causes hemorrhage both in the brain and in other organs. If sodium chloride is infused intravenously into a baby, and an accidental overload of this saline solution occurs, hypernatremia occurs. The same thing happens if a large dose of the drug is prescribed orally. This is often due to the fact that the solution is diluted with water in large quantities.

Epilepsy in newborns occurs due to hypocalcemia associated with prematurity, trauma during childbirth, with virtually no symptoms observed. Hypomagnesemia rarely leads to seizures, but often occurs together with hypercalcemia.

It is important to know: in newly born babies, seizures are focal in nature, so they are difficult to identify. However, there are manifestations by which this can be done. So, signs of epilepsy in infants include:

• Twitching is involuntary (clonic), appearing in different places (migrating).
• Stopping breathing.
• Movement of the jaw (as if the patient is chewing something).
• The eyes do not react to light or, on the contrary, are pointed at one point.

Most often, these signs of epilepsy in infants appear after a stroke associated with ischemia and (or) hypoxia. In most babies, the central nervous system was affected by infections.

In order to determine the nature and type of pathology as accurately as possible, it is necessary to conduct a thorough examination. Epilepsy in infants is determined by EEG, as well as various laboratory tests, including electrolytes. It is necessary to check the brain, namely, do a CT scan and ultrasound. The doctor reveals anamnesis by asking parents about hereditary and past diseases.

It can be quite difficult to determine whether a small patient has seizures or not. This is why the EEG is so important. Since the recording will certainly display 2 phases of sleep - calm and active, it is carried out for at least 2 hours. If the doctor determines that the EEG is normal, but the prognosis is good. However, if there are changes in brain activity that are considered serious, but the doctor can confidently state that these are signs of epilepsy in a newborn. There are other methods for diagnosis, for example, they check the level of glucose in the blood, as well as magnesium, calcium and other elements, and examine the level of protein.

They conduct tests not only on urine, but also on feces, both for possible viruses and bacteria. Next, the doctor must determine whether there is a need to conduct any other tests, for example, arterial blood pH. If the doctor has information or suspicions that epilepsy in newborns is associated with the mother taking substances containing drugs (including medications), then an appropriate analysis is done. However, CT or ultrasound are most often performed. With their help, they determine whether there are hemorrhages. This is followed by MRI or MRS to identify changes caused by ischemia.

Convulsions, as signs of epilepsy in a newborn, differ from nervous excitability syndrome, although they are somewhat similar, because with the latter, asynchronous movements also occur in the limbs. However, if you keep the limbs motionless, then such movements, as a rule, stop, which cannot be said about epileptic seizures.

Much of the prognosis depends on the form of the disease. If epilepsy in infants is associated with serious hemorrhages, then the prognosis is less favorable. Let's say it was discovered that the seizures were caused by an infection that affected the central nervous system or a stroke. In this case, they may appear after some time. It is not possible to determine exactly: it could be a couple of months or 5 years.

Epilepsy in newborns is treated with anticonvulsants. If it is determined that there is very little glucose in the blood, the doctor usually prescribes an intravenous infusion of dextrose solution (10%). Next, the patient's condition is monitored. If hypocalcemia is detected, calcium gluconate (also 10%) is administered.

If the symptoms of epilepsy in an infant are associated with infectious diseases, antibacterial drugs are prescribed. The disorders are corrected, but if the seizures continue, then appropriate medications are prescribed every 25.5 hours. This is done until the cramps stop appearing. After half a day, therapy is prescribed, monitoring clinical indicators. Typically, if epilepsy is detected in newborns, phenobarbital is prescribed. When the seizures stop, the doctor may prescribe the same drug, but not intravenously, but in tablets. If it is noticed that phenobarbital is not very effective, then phenytoin is prescribed. The dose of this drug should be 20 mg PE. To avoid arrhythmia or hypotension, the drug must be administered over 40 minutes, very slowly. The duration of the course can be any and is usually chosen by the doctor individually for each patient, depending on his condition.

Seizures, as symptoms of epilepsy in infants, can be effectively treated with the help of new generation pharmaceuticals. Doctors studied the effects of intravenous anti-seizure drugs on young patients. But if the medication load is too large, it may affect the baby’s breathing.

If it is revealed that a child has a benign form of pathology, and the EEG shows peaks in the temples and center, then this form is associated only with a genetic predisposition. It is common among 30% of children, boys are most often affected. Although it most actively manifests itself at 3 years of age, there are rare cases of its detection in the neonatal period. The cramps are very severe and can cause facial distortion and numbness. They are dangerous because they usually occur at night. Treatment is selected by the doctor.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, there is no effective prevention against the above pathology. All that can be done is to identify the disease as soon as possible. Since head trauma is the most common cause of the disease, this phenomenon should be prevented. The patient is prescribed medications to stabilize his condition so that he can develop further and study. Minor physical activity is recommended on the advice of a doctor.

Epilepsy in infants can be both an independent disease and a complication of certain disorders associated with the central nervous system of the baby. Often the pathology is expressed in the newborn age. This happens due to genetics. Therefore, at this time only a qualified neurologist can diagnose it.

Knowing the negative causes of epilepsy in infants, you can begin surgical treatment. The occurrence of epilepsy attacks in children under one year old occurs for several reasons:

• poor heredity (diseases of the central nervous system in parents, epilepsy in close relatives);
• hypoxia of the newborn and fetus during pregnancy;
• metabolic disorders, birth injuries affecting the child’s brain;
• Cerebral palsy, Down's disease, viral diseases of the brain (encephalitis, meningitis);
• severe course of jaundice during the neonatal period.

If epilepsy in an infant occurs unexpectedly, a genetic factor may indicate this, but identifying the real cause of the disease is quite difficult without proper diagnostic measures.

Children say! Timokha (4 years old) paints a kangaroo. Colored the bottom part and said:
- You can say that here she is dressed, and here she is naked.

Each cause of epilepsy in infants is accompanied by individual symptoms. First of all, babies exhibit seizures, which are often confused with physiological uncoordinated movements. Therefore, treatment is prescribed untimely.

Attention! The following series of signs should definitely alert parents, since it is impossible to start the progression of epilepsy in infants due to possible complications in the future. As a rule, they interfere with the normal functioning of the baby.

Depending on the complexity of the disease, signs of epilepsy in infants are divided into minor and major seizures and are accompanied by:

• convulsive movements of the limbs (in the first case up to 5 minutes, in the second - up to 15 minutes);
• short-term and long-term loss of consciousness;
• involuntary bowel movements and urination;
• Sometimes tongue retraction and vomiting occur.

Please note that involuntary (sharp) extension of the knee and elbow joints can lead to dislocations and fractures, so it is prohibited to ignore such symptoms.

Watch the video about what you should and shouldn’t do if you have epilepsy in an infant.

Contact a qualified neurologist for examination to prescribe the right treatment.

If abnormalities in the brain are suspected, the baby is prescribed an EEG (an examination procedure that determines the area of ​​increased excitability in the brain), an X-ray of the skull, an MRI, and a lumbar puncture. Only after confirmation of epilepsy in newborns begin competent treatment, which is carried out in several stages.

First of all, babies under one year of age are prescribed a gentle regime and correction of the daily schedule. Stress, increased excitability, severe whims and shocks are contraindicated for babies. Mom should be constantly nearby so that the baby feels calm and confident.

Children say! We drink tea, sliced ​​lemon. The granddaughter (2 years 7 months) licks a piece and gives it to a neighbor (he came to visit). I speak:

You can’t do that, you’re acting ugly. And in response: “Don’t worry, woman, I still have it!”

Diet. When breastfeeding, the mother should reconsider her own diet, namely, limit the consumption of salty, fatty and spicy foods. It is advisable that they should not appear on the menu at all while you are practicing natural feeding. Eat more liquids and vitamins. In individual cases (with artificial feeding), talk with your pediatrician about soluble formulas and their composition.

The use of medications is carried out according to the individual characteristics of the child’s body. First of all, for epilepsy in infants, anticonvulsant medications are prescribed. Products are used, starting with a minimum dosage and gradually increasing it. At the same time, epilepsy attacks in infants are monitored. The drugs used are: Konvulex, Depakine, Gluferal, Levetiracitam.

Sometimes such treatment does not bring results, and complications arise in the form of tumors in the brain. In such situations, surgical intervention is used.

The main thing concerns the occurrence of an epileptic attack in infants without panic. Follow this algorithm:

• when an infant has an attack of convulsions, move it to another place to eliminate the possibility of injury to the joints;
• provide a sufficient amount of oxygen, open windows if necessary, ventilate the room;
• It is better to turn the child on his side. This will save him from choking on vomit and eliminate the risk of his tongue getting stuck.

Important! Don’t try to control your baby’s epilepsy attack with all your might; the baby will cope with it on his own. Do not take measures to perform artificial respiration. If the attack lasts more than 5 minutes, call an ambulance.

During the first year of life, it is easier for a child to endure the disease; it can be successfully treated, and with age, the frequency of convulsions decreases until it disappears completely.

Watch the video of what experts think about epilepsy in infants.

Epilepsy in infants is a common neurological disease associated with abnormal brain function. It occurs 3 times more often in children than in adults.

Epilepsy in newborns is a group of pathologies that are manifested by seizures with chaotic movements of the limbs and loss of consciousness. In this case, febrile seizures occur in 2% of cases.

Cause-and-effect relationship or why does a child develop a disease?

Parents of children with epilepsy are concerned about why the disease befell the child and what are the causes of the pathology.

Factors that cause the appearance of epilepsy:

1. Failure in the formation of the brain during fetal development. Provoking reasons: during the period of bearing a child, abuse of alcohol and drugs, smoking. The likelihood of developing epilepsy increases if a woman has had a cold, flu, or herpes during pregnancy.
2. Age of the expectant mother. The older a woman is, the greater the risk of having a baby with developmental disabilities increases.
3. Features of the prenatal process and childbirth, which leads to damage to the already formed brain. This often occurs: during long labor, a long stay of the baby without amniotic fluid, if the child is entwined with the umbilical cord, special forceps are used for delivery.
4. Epilepsy can be caused by disorders of the nervous system. Frequent diseases of a bacterial and cold nature, which were accompanied by high temperatures and convulsions.
5. Concussion due to a fall or injury to brain cells.
6. Idiopathic causes of infertility mean that the disease is inherited. Low levels of dopamine are responsible for inhibiting chemical processes in the brain.
7. Lack of vitamins and microelements. Back in 1973, American scientists, based on research results, identified a connection between seizures and mineral deficiency. Parents should monitor the level of zinc and magnesium in the child’s body. Magnesium quickly decreases when stressful situations arise, temperature rises, and physical activity increases.
8. Any brain tumor, benign or malignant, can cause the development of the disease.
9. Cryptogenic causes in which it is impossible to determine what caused epilepsy.

Epilepsy attacks in infants and their symptoms

Signs of epilepsy in infants are significantly different from seizures that occur in adults. Symptoms of epilepsy in newborns are quite difficult to recognize, since they are similar to the baby’s normal motor activity. This feature makes diagnosis difficult.

The disease has the following symptoms:

• Seizures are the seizures most often associated with epilepsy. When a seizure occurs, all the muscles of the body tense, and the baby’s breathing stops for a short period of time. After this, convulsions begin, which can have varying intensity and duration. Spontaneous emptying of the bladder. After some time, the convulsions stop, the child calms down and falls asleep.
• Seizures without convulsions are common presentations in infants. The child suddenly freezes, his gaze becomes absent. There is a slight twitching of the eyelids, the baby throws his head back and closes his eyes. All attempts to attract his attention come to nothing. These manifestations are short-term, no more than 20 seconds. After the attack, the child returns to his usual activities. Parents rarely notice them.
• An atonic attack is characterized by loss of consciousness and relaxation of all muscles. From the outside it looks like fainting. If your child frequently loses consciousness for no reason, you should consult your doctor.
• A spasm, when it occurs, the arms are involuntarily pulled to the chest, the head is tilted, and the legs are straightened. Often this phenomenon occurs after the child wakes up.

Other symptoms of epilepsy may also be present. Children have disturbing dreams. They can move around the apartment, but do not react to the speech of an adult. Severe headaches accompanied by vomiting.

How to distinguish epilepsy in a newborn from physiological changes?

It is difficult to independently identify epilepsy in an infant. It is necessary to pay attention to the following points:

screams with shudders;

• simultaneous twitching of the upper and lower extremities;
• the absent look of a child;
• contraction and twitching of muscles;
• sudden turning of the head or body and freezing for several seconds;
• sudden redness or paleness of the skin.

Diagnosis of epilepsy in newborns

Epilepsy can be recognized by determining the child’s condition, as well as by observing general symptoms.
Suspicion of epilepsy arises when seizures are detected for no apparent reason.

If a child has a seizure, he needs immediate medical attention. The doctor who can diagnose epilepsy is a neurologist.

Stages of diagnosing the disease:

1. Collecting information to compile a medical history. Includes a survey of the mother about the course of pregnancy and the condition of the baby after birth. Having relatives with a similar disease. Illnesses and injuries of the child.
2. A story about a child's seizure, taking into account the smallest details.
3. Medical examination, which consists of assessing cardiac, neurological and mental status.
4. Donate blood for analysis to exclude the presence of other diseases.
5. Computed tomography, which allows you to determine the nature of the attack.
6. Carrying out an electroencephalogram.
7. Magnetic resonance imaging, which allows you to assess the state of the brain and identify pathologies.

After conducting the above studies and analyzing the results, the doctor determines whether there is epilepsy or not.

How to treat epilepsy in children, a chance for a healthy lifestyle

After carrying out diagnostic measures and making the correct diagnosis, the neurologist prescribes treatment.

Epilepsy: stage one

First of all, the baby needs rest and a proper daily routine. Parents must protect their child from stress and shock. Avoid strong tantrums. The mother needs to be nearby all the time so that the baby feels calm and balanced.

Stage two

Nutrition adjustments. Breastfed babies are calmer and have an emotional connection with their mother. It is important for a woman during the lactation period to adhere to a strict diet.

Avoid fried, salted, pickled and smoked foods. Establish a drinking regimen and take vitamins.

For bottle-fed babies, it is recommended to select the most suitable and approved formulas together with your pediatrician.

Stage three

Taking anticonvulsants. They are prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the diagnosis, the age of the baby and the individual characteristics of the body.

Initially, the minimum dosage of the drug is indicated, followed by its increase. Sometimes immunotherapy and hormonal treatment are required.

What should parents do during a child’s seizure: first aid

For a minor attack, there is no need for special measures. If the attack is severe and accompanied by seizures, parents should do everything possible to prevent the child from getting hurt.

First aid consists of doing the following:

1. Hold the baby's body and head.
2. Remove tight clothing.
3. Give access to oxygen by opening the window.
4. If breathing stops, perform artificial ventilation.
5. Stays nearby all the time.
6. Give the medicine only after the child has regained consciousness.

It is necessary to call an ambulance if such an attack occurs for the first time, if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes. If convulsions recur after a short period of time.

After an attack of epilepsy, children fall asleep deeply. It is important to monitor the child at this time, as the seizure syndrome may recur. 2 hours of continuous sleep means that the attack is over.

Negative effects of epilepsy on child development

Most parents are frightened by the diagnosis of epilepsy. It is important to remember that the disease is not always inherited. It does not affect the psyche, so the child is not at risk of aggression or mental retardation.

Parents are inclined to think that potent drugs have side effects. In fact, the lack of treatment for a disease causes more harm than the influence of drugs.

Nowadays, epilepsy has been well studied, and effective methods have been developed to combat it. The disease is no longer an obstacle to normal life.

Are the signs of epilepsy in children different in any way? This is a question often asked to doctors. As a rule, similar basic symptoms occur in both adolescents and infants, although depending on age, and most importantly, the form of epilepsy and the lesion, there are also specific symptoms.

Risk of epilepsy

The most common form of the disease in infants and older children is considered to be a form of rolandic epilepsy, that is, one that affects the cerebral cortex. Characteristic signs are convulsions, combined with disturbances of consciousness and sensory perception, including vegetative symptoms.

According to statistics, up to 17% of clinic patients are children from infants to two-year-olds, of whom 80% suffer from rolandic or absence epilepsy. Another 13% are preschool children from 2 to 7.

Unfortunately, if newborns are indeed diagnosed with epilepsy, the real cause is likely to lie in the genes and will never be identified. However, it is possible that children or adolescents do not have epilepsy, but signs of a seizure disorder, and once the cause of the seizures is identified and eliminated, the child will be healthy. For example, the disease “febrile convulsions” outwardly manifests itself as the symptoms of that terrible disease, but differs both in development and in ease of treatment.

Main symptoms

For those who are encountering how epilepsy manifests itself for the first time, this can come as a real shock. Indeed, a seizure, especially in children or adolescents, looks frightening, for example:

• Unnatural and rhythmic convulsions.
• Periodic blackouts.
• Interruptions in breathing, involuntary stool and urination.
• Muscle tension.
• Erratic actions and movements, including facial expressions.
• Rolling the eyes behind the eyelid.

Recognizing the symptoms of epilepsy in children is not so easy, given that some forms of rolandic, focal, and absence epilepsy are not accompanied by seizures. Indeed, if only part of the brain or part of the cerebral cortex is affected, as in Rolandic, then the convulsions do not cover the entire body, but, for example, only an arm or leg.

Symptoms make themselves felt in kindergarten, school or in the first weeks of life in newborns. However, they can go unnoticed for a long time, since teachers sometimes do not closely monitor children, and at home the signs may not appear at all.

Keep in mind that if an attack of childhood epilepsy manifests itself once, it will definitely happen again.

Aura and first aid

There is such a thing as an aura or precursor of illness, which notifies of an upcoming attack of a Rolandic or other form. It manifests itself in behavioral changes in newborns, older children and adolescents.

For example, a child may suffer from insomnia, become irritable and aggressive for no apparent reason. And if the attack itself rarely lasts more than 2-3 minutes, then similar symptoms may be present throughout the day.

You should consult a doctor immediately if your child exhibits at least one or two of the signs listed above.

Moreover, the first time an aura does not necessarily accompany an attack. Thus, with absence rolandic form, infants experience only stupor, blurred vision and lack of reaction. The same is true for teenagers and older children: from the outside it may seem that the patient is simply deep in thought, his gaze lingering on one point. But it is necessary to call for medical help, because you shouldn’t try to “bring” teenagers out of their stupor on your own, much less interfere during an attack.

If the symptoms of a seizure or convulsions do not disappear in children for more than 5 minutes, even knowing that the child is epileptic, you should immediately call an ambulance.

It is also worth calling the doctor if, after the end of a regular attack of rolandic or other epilepsy, the child cannot restore breathing. If adolescents experience short series of seizures, but they follow one another, this is called status epilepticus and also requires prompt medical intervention. As is clear, treatment is prescribed based on diagnostic results and in each case is purely individual.

Particular symptoms by form of epilepsy

There is no need to say that each of the forms of manifestation of the disease has its own specifics. After all, as already mentioned, the disease manifests itself in a focal localized form and in a generalized form, covering most or all of the cerebral hemisphere.

Grand mal or generalized seizure

Often occurs in adolescents in the form of a congenital disease. The onset of such an attack is preceded by characteristic symptoms: irritability and aggression, and possible severe headache. Sometimes the patient suddenly loses consciousness for no apparent reason, which in turn is fraught with injury to the head, back of the head or spine.

In a generalized seizure, convulsions can attack the entire body and last from a few seconds to 2-3 minutes. While the child is convulsing, his face becomes cyanotic, foam may come out of his mouth, at the same time, even an adult can wet himself, not to mention children. The most dangerous thing is that the baby can hit his head on the ground or bite his tongue and die from loss of blood. In such cases, something soft is placed under the head, and they try to keep the mouth unclenched or insert a cloth (a special device for biting). It is important that teenagers do not vomit during the attack: then the child may choke on it. In this case, the patient is turned onto his side.

Minor seizures

They differ in that only part of the brain or cerebral cortex is affected in the rolandic form. One of the following types of epilepsy is possible here:

1. Propulsive seizure - during the process, the child quickly bends his head and torso. These attacks do not last long, but may continue throughout the day. The main suspected cause is perinatal trauma at birth.
2. Retropulsive - the eyes roll back, the person loses consciousness, and the body freezes in the position it was in.
3. Impulsive - short and involuntary convulsive impulses are sent to certain muscles of the body. The child remains conscious.

In addition to the small seizures listed above, there is also a focal form of epilepsy, in which seizures are grouped around one or more muscle groups and areas of the body. The patient experiences a loss of sensation, sometimes tingling, itching, or increased temperature in the area where convulsive activity occurs.

The psychomotor form of the seizure is quite rare, but it also cannot be excluded. With it, symptoms manifest themselves in the form of short-term actions or acts that are performed by the body automatically. For example, short jerky laughter, crying, vomiting, shouting, changing body position, etc.

The most dangerous thing is that epilepsy in children can manifest itself even in their sleep and will interfere with their lives until they themselves learn to cope with their illness or it can be cured at an early stage. That is why it is important to immediately begin diagnosis using EEG and MRI and prescribe objective treatment, including not only medication, but also sanatorium-resort rehabilitation, sessions with a psychologist, and so on.