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Childhood seizuresPublished by Bupa's health information team, April 2009. This factsheet is for people with a child who has seizures (fits), or who would like information about them. Childhood seizures are the result of electrical disturbances in the brain, which affect how a child moves, senses, behaves or feels. Epilepsy may be diagnosed if a child without fever has repeated episodes of similar seizures.
About childhood seizuresChildhood seizures happen when the electrical activity in your child's brain is suddenly disrupted. This disruption can cause changes in your child's body movements, awareness, behaviour, emotions or senses. There are many different types of seizure, each having their own set of symptoms, which often makes diagnosis difficult. Typically your child will only have one or a few seizure types. If your child has recurring seizures, your doctor may consider a diagnosis of epilepsy. Epilepsy affects at least 456,000 people in the UK. It often begins in childhood, although around one-third of children will grow out of it by the time they reach adulthood. Types of childhood seizureSeizures are mainly categorised as 'generalised seizures' or 'partial seizures' depending on the degree to which your child's brain is affected. Generalised seizures occur when all of the electrical activity in your child's brain is disrupted. Partial seizures are due to disrupted activity in only part of your child's brain. Symptoms of childhood seizuresBoth generalised and partial seizures will change your child's behaviour. These changes can range from brief absent moments to episodes of losing consciousness, falling on the floor and having a fit. Seizures often come without warning, although they may be triggered by a variety of events including flashing lights and tiredness. Generalised seizuresTonic-clonic seizuresAlso called 'grand-mal' seizures, tonic-clonic seizures are the most common type of generalised seizure. If your child has a tonic-clonic seizure, he or she will lose consciousness, stiffen for a few seconds and fall to the ground. Your child's breathing pattern will change and as a result, the skin around his or her lips and fingernails may turn blue. This is followed by rhythmic jerking of his or her arms, legs or entire body. These movements are involuntary and normally last for several minutes. Your child may bite his or her tongue or become incontinent (wet himself or herself). After the seizure is over, your child may be confused, tired, have a headache, or go to sleep. He or she may not remember what happened. Absence seizuresAbsence seizures are also known as 'petit-mal' attacks and happen mainly in childhood. These seizures cause brief episodes of unconsciousness. Your child may stop whatever he or she is doing, stare into space for 10 to 20 seconds and then continue what he or she was doing as if nothing happened. Absence seizures can be hard to spot. It may look as if your child is simply daydreaming. If your child is having multiple absence seizures a day, he or she may start to have problems in school. Teachers may mistake your child's lack of awareness as poor concentration. Myoclonic seizuresDuring a myoclonic seizure your child's arms, head or entire body will jerk suddenly. The jerks usually occur in the early morning. Although they don't last long, they can be very frustrating if your child frequently drops things or falls over because of them. If these seizures begin when your child is aged between 12 and 18, they can be a symptom of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Children with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy often have tonic-clonic seizures too. Tonic and atonic seizuresBoth tonic and atonic seizures are very short and your child's recovery will be quick. During a tonic seizure all of your child's muscles will stiffen and he or she will fall over unless supported. These seizures usually last less than 20 seconds and often happen during sleep. Atonic seizures are also called drop attacks. Your child's muscle tone will suddenly be lost and he or she will drop heavily to the ground, sometimes banging his or her head, but should be able to get back up almost straightaway. Partial seizuresSymptoms of partial seizures depend on which part of your child's brain is affected. If your child has a simple partial seizure, he or she will be fully conscious, whereas in the complex form consciousness is impaired. In simple partial seizures, symptoms include rhythmic twitching, numbness or "pins and needles" in one part of the body and unpleasant disturbances to hearing, vision, smell or taste. In complex partial seizures, your child won't be aware of what is going on around him or her and probably won't remember the event. Symptoms of a complex partial seizure include swallowing repeatedly, smacking lips, plucking at clothes and wandering around. Febrile convulsionsFebrile convulsions are generalised seizures brought on by a fever caused by another illness, such as tonsillitis. They affect around three to five out of 100 children between six months and five years and there is often a family history. If your child has febrile convulsions, he or she isn't more likely to develop epilepsy as a result, and they don't affect development or performance at school. Causes of childhood seizuresIf your child has repeated seizures, the most common cause is epilepsy. One in five people with epilepsy have inherited it (it runs in their family). Seizures can also be caused by an illness such as meningitis, metabolic problems (eg an overactive thyroid gland) or by damage to the brain that may have happened before, during or after birth. Febrile convulsions are caused by the child having a fever brought on by another illness, such as tonsillitis. Diagnosis of childhood seizuresYour GP will ask you about your child's symptoms and examine him or her. He or she may also ask you about your child's medical history. There is no single test for seizures or epilepsy. A diagnosis is based mainly on a description of what happened before, during and after your child's seizure. Seizures in young children can be difficult to distinguish from "funny turns" or faints, so a reliable eyewitness account is important. A video of your child's episodes, perhaps taken with a mobile phone or camcorder, or a detailed written diary of when and where the seizures occurred, will help your GP make a diagnosis. Your GP may first test your child's blood and urine to look for possible causes of a seizure, such as an infection. If your GP suspects your child has epilepsy, he or she will refer you to a specialist, usually a paediatrician (a doctor who specialises in conditions of children). This may result in a further referral to a paediatric neurologist (a paediatrician who specialises in brain and nervous system disorders). If epilepsy is diagnosed, your doctor will try to categorise your child's epilepsy syndrome to determine which further investigations and treatment he/she needs. Additional information may be gathered using an EEG (electroencephalogram), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan or CT (computed tomography) scan. An EEG is a painless test that records the electrical activity of the brain. It can detect abnormal brain activity. An MRI scan uses magnets and radiowaves to produce images of the inside of the brain. A CT scan uses X-rays to make a three-dimensional image of the brain. Treatment of childhood seizuresMedicinesFebrile convulsionsIf your child has febrile convulsions, your doctor will tell you how to prevent them when your child is ill and has a fever. This may include:
Most children stop having febrile seizures after the age of six. EpilepsyIf your child is diagnosed with epilepsy, he or she may be given an antiepileptic medicine. There are many available and your paediatrician will prescribe the one most suitable for your child's seizures. Your child must take his or her medicine every day to reduce (or stop) the seizures from happening. Common side-effects of antiepileptic medicines include drowsiness and dizziness, but these often disappear when your child's body adjusts to the medicine. If your child has side-effects that interfere with daily activities, such as memory loss or overactivity, talk to your GP. Always read the patient information that comes with your medicine and if you have any questions, ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice. If your child hasn't had a seizure for two years, his or her medicine may be gradually reduced and stopped. However, don't adjust the dose or stop your child's medicine without first talking to your child's GP.
Related topicsFurther information
Sources
This information was published by Bupa's health information team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been peer reviewed by Bupa doctors. The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional. Publication date: April 2009
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