Convulsions in infants and children are episodes that frighten parents. Most of the time they are produced only by high fever and treated effectively with medication. In other cases they are generated by diverse neurological symptoms, such as, for example, epilepsy or meningitis. The pediatrician should be consulted to rule out neurological causes of seizures.
Convulsions are certain abnormal and involuntary movements.
The alternation of involuntary contractions and relaxations are called myoclonus (when they affect isolated muscles) or tonic-clonic movements (when they affect all, one or more extremities).
Sometimes muscles get tense, and we talk about hypertonia. And if they get straight, hypotony.
Seizures (with few exceptions) are usually accompanied by loss of consciousness. Sometimes they are accompanied by other manifestations such as strange noises of breathing, drooling or turned eyes.
Parents who witness a seizure in one of their children refer to the experience as "terrifying." At that moment, the first thing they think is that their son is going to die at any moment.
Why do they occur?
Are there different types?
What are febrile seizures?
Will they be repeated?
Do you need treatment?
Why do they occur?
The cause of the movements is in electrical shocks of the brain. As for the reasons that the brain produces abnormal electrical signals, there may be several:
Fever (3% of children between 6 months and 3 years may have seizures coinciding with fever).
Nervous system infections such as meningitis or encephalitis.
Epilepsy.
Severe dehydration.
Toxic (pesticides).
Other more rare such as cerebral angiomas.
Are there different types?
The experts make several complex classifications, which we can simplify as follows:
Generalized convulsions: affect almost the entire body.
Partial convulsions: only affect a few muscles.
Simple febrile seizures: when the only known trigger is fever.
Atypical or complex seizures: when accompanied by other neurological symptoms.
The definitive instrument for classifying seizures is electro-encephalopathy (E.E.G.), although other more complex diagnostic techniques (T.A.C, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, angiography, ultrasound, etc.) will sometimes be used.
What are febrile seizures?
The "typical" are those that occur during a febrile episode, without an infection of the nervous system. They affect 3% of children between 6 months and 3 years. Perhaps some other member of the family also had these kinds of seizures.
In general, they occur with a fever above 38.5 °, although the cause of it is a mild illness. They last very few minutes (although for the parents it is an eternity).
Sometimes children or infants expel faeces or urine at the end, because all their muscles relax. Afterwards, the baby recovers even though it is somewhat bloated for a while. His E.E.G. (Electro-encephalopathy) is always normal.
In some cases, it is referred to as "atypical" or complex febrile seizures. This is when:
The fever was not very high (less than 38.5%).
The seizure took more than 10 minutes to give way.
It is probably due to the fact that other factors coexist in these children, which may indicate a predisposition to have more seizures.
Do not hesitate to discuss it with your pediatrician if you know that:
In the family there is some person who suffers epilepsy.
The baby had a hard labor or was slow to breathe.
Will they be repeated?
Half of the children who have a typical febrile seizure may have several (or more) ones. In the case of atypical or complex crises, the probability increases.
The diagnosis of the different forms of epilepsy requires that there are more than two crises and alterations evident in the E.E.G. (electroencephalogram).
Epileptic seizures can be repeated, although there are effective drugs to avoid it.
Do you need treatment?
The first measure that applies to a child who has a seizure is to provide Diazepam, a drug that is usually put through the anus, through a cannitol.
It is a fast and effective treatment in most cases, although as a result of them, the phase of later drowsiness will be prolonged. After that, no special treatment is needed.
It is normal for parents to start having a "phobia" of fever. But most children will not need more treatments.
If febrile convulsions are repeated, parents are advised to use Diazepam in a preventive manner only the first two days of febrile episodes.
Until a few years ago, continuous preventive treatment for several years with anticonvulsants was recommended.
Currently, antiepileptics are reserved for cases of epilepsy of one type or another.
Convulsions are certain abnormal and involuntary movements.
The alternation of involuntary contractions and relaxations are called myoclonus (when they affect isolated muscles) or tonic-clonic movements (when they affect all, one or more extremities).
Sometimes muscles get tense, and we talk about hypertonia. And if they get straight, hypotony.
Seizures (with few exceptions) are usually accompanied by loss of consciousness. Sometimes they are accompanied by other manifestations such as strange noises of breathing, drooling or turned eyes.
Parents who witness a seizure in one of their children refer to the experience as "terrifying." At that moment, the first thing they think is that their son is going to die at any moment.
Why do they occur?
Are there different types?
What are febrile seizures?
Will they be repeated?
Do you need treatment?
Why do they occur?
The cause of the movements is in electrical shocks of the brain. As for the reasons that the brain produces abnormal electrical signals, there may be several:
Fever (3% of children between 6 months and 3 years may have seizures coinciding with fever).
Nervous system infections such as meningitis or encephalitis.
Epilepsy.
Severe dehydration.
Toxic (pesticides).
Other more rare such as cerebral angiomas.
Are there different types?
The experts make several complex classifications, which we can simplify as follows:
Generalized convulsions: affect almost the entire body.
Partial convulsions: only affect a few muscles.
Simple febrile seizures: when the only known trigger is fever.
Atypical or complex seizures: when accompanied by other neurological symptoms.
The definitive instrument for classifying seizures is electro-encephalopathy (E.E.G.), although other more complex diagnostic techniques (T.A.C, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, angiography, ultrasound, etc.) will sometimes be used.
What are febrile seizures?
The "typical" are those that occur during a febrile episode, without an infection of the nervous system. They affect 3% of children between 6 months and 3 years. Perhaps some other member of the family also had these kinds of seizures.
In general, they occur with a fever above 38.5 °, although the cause of it is a mild illness. They last very few minutes (although for the parents it is an eternity).
Sometimes children or infants expel faeces or urine at the end, because all their muscles relax. Afterwards, the baby recovers even though it is somewhat bloated for a while. His E.E.G. (Electro-encephalopathy) is always normal.
In some cases, it is referred to as "atypical" or complex febrile seizures. This is when:
The fever was not very high (less than 38.5%).
The seizure took more than 10 minutes to give way.
It is probably due to the fact that other factors coexist in these children, which may indicate a predisposition to have more seizures.
Do not hesitate to discuss it with your pediatrician if you know that:
In the family there is some person who suffers epilepsy.
The baby had a hard labor or was slow to breathe.
Will they be repeated?
Half of the children who have a typical febrile seizure may have several (or more) ones. In the case of atypical or complex crises, the probability increases.
The diagnosis of the different forms of epilepsy requires that there are more than two crises and alterations evident in the E.E.G. (electroencephalogram).
Epileptic seizures can be repeated, although there are effective drugs to avoid it.
Do you need treatment?
The first measure that applies to a child who has a seizure is to provide Diazepam, a drug that is usually put through the anus, through a cannitol.
It is a fast and effective treatment in most cases, although as a result of them, the phase of later drowsiness will be prolonged. After that, no special treatment is needed.
It is normal for parents to start having a "phobia" of fever. But most children will not need more treatments.
If febrile convulsions are repeated, parents are advised to use Diazepam in a preventive manner only the first two days of febrile episodes.
Until a few years ago, continuous preventive treatment for several years with anticonvulsants was recommended.
Currently, antiepileptics are reserved for cases of epilepsy of one type or another.
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