Dr. Pankaj Dutt

What You Need to Know About Epilepsy And Seizures in Children!

Epilepsy is defined as a neurological disorder, which affects people of all age groups. However, the cases of seizures are found more in young children (likely to occur in as many as 4% of children) than in adults. It is still not known as to why a developing brain is more prone to seizures than a mature brain. A child is said to be suffering from epilepsy when they occur frequently. 

As parents your responsibilities are compounded if your child has epilepsy. You not only have to pay heed towards the normal concerns of his/her upbringing but also have to look into your child's emotional aspects, while dealing with the disorder in your day to day life.

You can help your child deal with the condition in the following ways:

1. It is quite likely that your child may feel resentful and develop emotional issues, such as depression or low self-esteem. Help your child cultivates positive attitude towards life and his/her disease.

2. Try to make your child come to terms with reality by helping him/her to understand that even though he/she may be different, he/she shouldn't look upon the condition as something that is abnormal. It is best to help your child concentrate on his/her strengths at such times.

3. Help your child participate in activities of his/her choice to instill positivity in life.

4. Make sure your other children understand their sibling's ailment and if he/she feels neglected try and spend more time with him/her. If need be, seek family counselling to make everyone understand how to deal with your child's illness.

5. Learn about your child's medication schedule thoroughly and also find out what he/she needs to do in case a dose of medication is missed.

6. Develop an environment where he/she feels comfortable and can easily share a concern or anxieties.

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The word epilepsy brings to mind visions of people frothing at the mouth and rolling on the ground. However, epilepsy affects each patient in a different way. This can make it hard to recognize at times. In the more serious cases of epilepsy, an epileptic attack can make a patient injure himself or develop other life threatening conditions. In rare cases, epilepsy can even cause death. Thus it becomes imperative to understand how to deal with epilepsy.

Treatment options for epilepsy can be categorized as medication, surgical procedures and ​dietary changes.

Medication
Medication for epilepsy is prescribed on the basis of the symptoms presented and the type of epilepsy the patient is suffering from. In most cases, seizures can be controlled with a single type of medication, but in others, the doctor may need to prescribe a combination of medicines to control epilepsy. These forms of medication do have side effects and hence any reactions to the medication must be immediately brought to the doctor's notice. The dosage for epilepsy medication may need to be varied with time. An epileptic patient should never discontinue medication on their own.

Surgery
Depending on the type of seizures and the area of the brain affected, a doctor may advise surgery in cases of severe epilepsy. Surgery can help reduce the number of seizures experienced or completely stop them. Surgery to treat epilepsy is of many types. Some of the common procedures are:

1. Surgery to remove tumor of any such conditions that may be triggering the epileptic attacks
2. Surgery to remove a small section of the brain from where a seizure originates. This may also be referred to as a lobectomy.
3. Multiple subpial transaction or a surgery that involves making a series of cuts in the brain to prevent the seizures from spreading to other parts of the brain.
4. Surgery to sever the neural connections between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
5. Surgery to remove half the brain's cortex or outer layer

Dietary changes
A diet rich in fats and low in carbohydrates can help reduce seizures. This is known as a ketogenic diet and aims at making the body break down fats instead of carbohydrates. It can cause a buildup of uric acid in the body and thus should be practiced only under the guidance of a dietician. In cases where epileptic attacks are triggered by malnutrition and birth defects, taking vitamin supplements can help lower the frequency of seizures. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!