Epilepsy in Childhood
- Currently affects more than 300,000 children under the age of 14.
- May be time limited or long term. Early recognition and treatment are keys to the best possible outcome.
- May be associated with serious, difficult-to-treat syndromes, including infantile spasms, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, genetically related conditions, and developmental disorders.
- Social impact in childhood is often severe, producing isolation and loss of self esteem.
About 300,000 American children under the age of 14 have epilepsy. It affects children at different ages, and in different ways. For some, it will be a temporary problem, easily controlled with medication, outgrown after a few years. For others, it may be a lifelong challenge affecting many areas of life. Medical treatment of childhood epilepsy is getting better, and research towards a cure continues. More medications are now available. For children whose seizures are not controlled by medication or who experience unacceptable side-effects, several treatments including surgery, the ketogenic diet, and the vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) may be effective in treating their seizures.
