In this section
- Introduction
- About epilepsy in children
- About seizures
- Tests and diagnosis
- Treatment and management of epilepsy
- Risks of having epilepsy
- Unfair treatment and the law
- Learning and education
- Coming to terms with your child’s epilepsy
- Supporting your child with epilepsy
- The future
Our thanksEpilepsy Action would like to thank Bernie Concannon, paediatric specialist nurse in epilepsy, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, UK, for reviewing Children and epilepsy. Bernie Concannon has declared no conflict of interest. |
Introduction
Around one in 240 children under 16 in the UK has epilepsy. Most children with epilepsy enjoy a full and active life. With a few sensible safety precautions, they are able to do everything that their friends do. Sometimes, however, epilepsy is more complex, and children need specialist help and support.
If you have questions about your child’s epilepsy, these web pages are for you.
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Updated December 2011To be reviewed December 2013
Comments: read the 5 comments or add yours
Comments
Hello,
I just wanted to say thank you to this website as it has helped me understand a little bit more about epilepsy and the kind of seizures their are. My daughter was diagnosed at 14 and she is now 18 and she has now got an placement at a nursery, so it just goes to show that just because you have this illness doesn't mean you can't four fill your dreams :)
My 10 year old has recently been diagnosed with focal epilepsy, she has had two full blown seizures (one yesterday). She is very angry and resentful about it all and refuses to confront it. We are still coming to terms/trying to adjust with this life-changing thing and I am looking to find a network or support group for parents with children with epilepsy in the South East of England. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Much obliged.
This site has been very useful. thank you.
Our lovely son Nathan was diagnoised with epilepsy, 3 weeks ago, just 2 weeks after his 4th birthday. We are totally devestated and so sad, but most of all terrified. I sleep in his room every night, waking often to make sure he is still breathing and also so that I can make sure he is alive. I am so terrified that I am going to lose him and don't know how or when I will ever loose that fear or not be able to sleep in with him. Am i being irrational? This is all so new and overwhelming to us and I feel like I am living on a knife edge always waiting for that moment when I walk into a room and find him unresponsive and floppy. i think I am traumatised by the last seizure (generalised tonic clonic). It was so frighterning and I thought he was going to die. Please tell me - do these feelings get better with time. The anxiety is overwhelming to me and I love my son so much.
My youngest son had his first major fit in April 2010 aged 18 months. Little did we know the journey we were all about to embark on. Our consultant is lovely,he recommended this site to us and doesn't leap straight into daily Meds. My son is still uncontrolled, but we have Meds we give when it's a particularly bad/prolonged fit. This works well for us at present. I think the other 3 children we have, in particular our 5 year old have had a tough time learning to adjust and this is something that should be covered I think. We are grateful this site and it's Facebook page are there.
Hello, my son is 4 and began with myclonic epilepsy aged 3, having multiple daily seizures. As other parents in this position will know, the options (currently) aren't good: medicines with side effects, ketogenic diet with side effects (plus impacticality) or leave uncontrolled with risks of accidents or status epilepticus. Searching for a better solution, I found a lesser known scientific paper suggesting calcium / vitamin D could be a first line of defence. So I started him on Haliborange Calcium Vitamin D Softies (one daily) and, surprisingly, one week later his seizures stopped (from maybe 40 a day to none). He has remained on the Softies for 9 months now and I have only seen 2 seizures in that time when he had a fever, the rest of the time none at all. That suggests he still has the condition but it is controlled. I cannot prove that the Softies have controlled the epilepsy, but wanted to share this here, as I'm sure other parents in a similar position may at least wish to try these harmless supplements before going down the NHS-approved other routes. If anyone else has the same success with this, I would be keen to hear about it on this forum.