A seizure is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. This activity leads to muscle spasms, strange sensations and loss of consciousness. Children are at higher risk for seizures than any other age group.

There are several different types of seizures that may affect children. They include:

• Tonic-clonic seizures. A powerful type of seizure, it is also known as a generalized convulsive or a grand mal seizure.
  
  
• Absence seizure. Also known as a petit mal seizure, it involves a momentary change in consciousness so mild that it may not be noticed by others.
  
  
• Complex partial seizures. Also known as psychomotor or limbic seizures, they originate in one part of the brain and cause symptoms that vary depending on the part of the brain involved.
  
  
• Infantile seizures. Typically occur during the first year of life and cause the infant’s entire body to flex or extend.

Seizures can affect any process controlled by the brain. They are caused by a wide variety of factors. A febrile seizure is among the most common types of seizures that affect children. These occur when a child’s fever rises rapidly to 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) or higher. Other causes of seizures include epilepsy, infections and brain injuries.

Children who experience seizures typically undergo convulsions or a rhythmic jerking in their arms and legs. In some cases, children may lose consciousness and involuntarily lose control of the bladder or bowels.

Parents of a child who is experiencing a seizure are urged to remain calm and to ease their child safely down to the floor and away from furniture or other nearby objects. Any tight clothing around the head or neck should be loosened. Children should also be turned onto their side.

Although seizures are often very frightening to parents, they are not typically associated with long-term health risks. In most cases, seizures are relatively mild and quickly pass. However, they can signal the presence of an illness or other disorder. Anytime a child has a seizure, especially the first time, a physician should be consulted.

The physician, typically a pediatrician, will check to see if an infection is present. If an infection does not appear likely, the physician may order other tests to help pinpoint the cause of the child’s seizures. Treatments will vary depending on the cause of the child’s seizures.

Seizures are sharp changes in physical movement, behavior or consciousness that tend to occur suddenly and that typically last for a short time. Children are at higher risk for seizures than any other age group.

Seizures can affect any process controlled by the brain. This includes movement, sensation, consciousness, vision and thinking. They are caused by a wide variety of factors. In most cases, seizures do not pose serious health risks and quickly pass. However, they can signal the presence of an illness or other disorder. Parents should always consult the child's physician (e.g., pediatrician) after a seizure so a proper diagnosis can be made. If this is the first seizure that has occurred, a physician should be contacted right away. If the child already has been diagnosed with a seizure disorder, parents should follow the advice of their child’s physician in how to proceed during the seizure. Typically, medical care is not necessary if the seizure is similar to those that have occurred before and if it lasts for less than five minutes. 

Parents of a child who is experiencing a seizure are urged to remain calm and to ease their child safely down to the floor and away from furniture or other nearby objects. Any tight clothing around the head or neck should be loosened, and the child should be turned onto his or her side. 

During a seizure, parents should not rub their child with alcohol, place their child in a tub of cold water (which can injure the child or reduce a fever too rapidly) or bundle up their child in warm clothing (which can cause a fever to rise). They also should not try to force anything into the child’s mouth -- including any medicines, foods or beverages -- during a seizure and should not try to restrain the child. The tongue cannot be swallowed during a seizure.

Parents are urged to seek emergency care if their child has a seizure and experiences breathing difficulties or begins to turn blue. In addition, medical care is needed if a child is on an antiseizure (anticonvulsant) medication and nonetheless has a seizure that lasts for longer than 10 minutes.

Certain symptoms accompanying a seizure may indicate the presence of meningitis. Parents are urged to immediately consult a physician if their child has a fever, stiff neck or drowsiness associated with a seizure.

Medical care also should also be immediately summoned for any child who has seizures and who:

• Appears ill or irritable
• Has experienced a head injury
• Has a heart condition
• Is suspected of ingesting poisons, medications or other substances

There are several different types of seizures that may affect children. They include:

• Tonic-clonic seizure. A powerful type of seizure, it is also known as a generalized convulsive or grand mal seizure. A child who experiences this type of seizure may fall to the floor and become unconscious as muscles tense up, eyes roll back in the head and saliva production increases. Seconds after falling, the child’s entire body may begin to shake violently and rhythmically. Labored breathing and loss of bladder or bowel control may follow. Typically, these seizures are not dangerous. Nevertheless, parents should seek medical care. A seizure that lasts for more than 15 minutes or if seizures follow in succession without the child waking is known as status epilepticus and is a medical emergency.
  
  
• Absence seizure. Also known as a petit mal seizure, it involves a momentary loss of consciousness so mild that it may not be noticed by others. Children who experience this type of seizure may suddenly have a blank look on their face, appear to be staring off into space or drop something they were holding. Eyelids may droop or blink and muscles may twitch. Each episode lasts for just a few moments, making this type of seizure difficult to recognize and diagnose.
  
  
• Complex partial seizures. Also known as psychomotor or limbic seizures, they originate in one part of the brain and cause symptoms that vary depending on the part of the brain involved. One common type affects the part of the brain responsible for language, smell and other functions (the temporal lobe). Children who have this type of seizure may report an unpleasant odor and extreme anxiety. In some cases, complex partial seizures lead to grand mal seizures. It is not uncommon for children to be unaware of a complex partial seizure after it has occurred.
  
  
• Infantile seizures. Typically occur during the first year of life and cause the infant’s entire body to flex or extend. Also known as infantile spasms, they tend to last for several minutes and occur in clusters.

A temporary disturbance of the brain’s normal electrical patterns causes the uncontrolled muscle spasms that make up a seizure. Many different types of illnesses, conditions and consumed substances can cause a seizure to develop.

Fever is among the most common triggers of seizures in children. A febrile seizure can be triggered when a child's temperature has a sudden and severe spike to 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) or more. Febrile seizures most often affect children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. In most cases, they are associated with a viral infection such as otitis media or roseola. 

There are two types of febrile seizures. Simple febrile seizures are the most common type. They last from a few seconds to 15 minutes. Complex febrile seizures last longer than 15 minutes and may occur more than once within a 24-hour period. In some cases, they may affect just one side of the body. Although febrile seizures may frighten parents, they are typically relatively harmless. Still, a physician should be consulted after a child’s first febrile seizure or after any febrile seizure that lasts more than five minutes or that is accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting, breathing difficulties or extreme drowsiness.

Children with epilepsy also experience recurring seizures. In about half of all cases, a child outgrows the condition by adolescence if it is properly treated. Epilepsy may not affect intelligence or a child’s process of development.

Other causes of seizures in children include:

• Brain injuries. Lack of oxygen to the brain or trauma to the brain can result in seizures. A brain tumor can also lead to seizures.
  
  
• Infections. For example, the Shigella bacteria present in contaminated water or food can cause an infection that triggers seizures. Infections that cause meningitis can also trigger seizures.
  
  
• Poisoning. Drugs and chemicals such as cocaine, nicotine, pesticides, tricyclic antidepressants and certain types of mushrooms can also trigger seizures.
  
  
• Metabolic problems. Conditions such as low levels of glucose (e.g., caused by uncontrolled diabetes) in the body can cause a child to have a seizure.

Children who experience seizures typically undergo convulsions or a rhythmic jerking in their arms and legs. The intensity and duration of these physical reactions varies from mild, split-second twitching to intense shaking of the whole body that may go on for several minutes or longer. In some cases, children may lose consciousness (for either shorter or longer periods of time) and involuntarily lose control of their bladder or their bowels.

Infants may display repetitive movements, decreased alertness, weakness and irritability.

Other symptoms associated with seizures in children include:

• Complaints of strange smells
  
  
• Déjà vu (sense of having experienced the same situation previously)
  
  
• Drooping eyelids
  
  
• Excessive blinking
  
  
• Eyes rolling back
  
  
• Trancelike or daydreaming state
  
  
• Stiff body

A physician will compile a thorough medical history and perform a complete physical examination in trying to diagnose the source of a seizure. The physician will examine the child for a fever and may order blood tests or other procedures to determine if an underlying infection is present.

If infection does not appear likely, the physician may order other tests to help pinpoint the cause of the child’s seizures. These may include an electroencephalogram (EEG), which detects abnormalities in the electrical activity of the brain; or imaging tests such as x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed axial tomography (CAT scan).

Preparing questions in advance can help patients and parents have more meaningful discussions with physicians regarding their child’s treatment options. The following questions related to seizures in children may be helpful:

1. What signs should I watch for that may indicate my child is having a seizure?
   
   
2. How can I keep my child calm during a seizure?
   
   
3. What should I avoid doing during and after my child’s seizure?
   
   
4. Which medications can I give my child after a seizure, or when my child has a fever?
   
   
5. What should I do if my child loses consciousness?
   
   
6. How will I know if emergency medical care is necessary following my child’s seizure?
   
   
7. How will you diagnose the cause of my child’s seizure?
   
   
8. What are my child’s treatment options?
   
   
9. Are there any side effects associated with these treatments?
   
   
10. What should I do if my child is being treated, but nonetheless has more seizures?