Seizures in babies. What are the precautionary measures?

How to identify that my child is having a seizure?

If you observe your baby is lying still and eyes are wide open staring and not responding to your call, you can guess it is a mild seizure. Mild seizures usually last from a few seconds to a few minutes.

If you observe your baby becomes unconscious, falls to the floor, and twitches or waves hands, he may be having a more serious seizure. The serious seizure will last only two to three minutes, but in rare cases they last longer, and he may lose bowel and bladder control.

There are many different types of seizures and they can last anywhere from a few moments to more than half an hour. In most cases during a seizure white foamy saliva will flow from the mouth.

What should I do when my baby is having a seizure?

• Keep monitoring the temperature of the baby. Mild seizures are caused due to high fever.
• The body posture of the baby may be scary, but do not panic and waste time. Be brave and take care of the baby. Do not leave the baby alone. Keep track of how long the seizure lasts. Call for a doctor and seek medical advise. You need to console your baby and not break down.
• If saliva is coming from the mouth, tilt the baby to one side such that the baby does not choke or consume the same saliva and it will prevent baby’s tongue going back and blocking the air pipe. Wipe the saliva that is coming from the mouth
• You will observe the baby taking deep breath. Loosen tight clothing .
• Do not try to stop the twitching movements by jerking the baby. Never sprinkle water on the baby.
• If the seizure is taking a longer time then shift the baby to a side and ensure he does not get hurt with the surroundings. Keep the surroundings free of articles. Keep away sharp objects.
• Preferably place baby on ground level to avoid fall. Avoid neck falling back in case you are carrying the baby to the doctor.
• Do not try to open your baby’s mouth or place anything between his teeth. This could injure the gums or break his teeth.
• Sometimes neighbors and elders in the family may gather around the baby and prevent fresh air from coming in. Ensure proper air circulation.
• Change clothing if baby has urinated or passed stools.
• If you have a caretaker or nanny to take care of the baby in your absence do update them about the symptoms, condition and how to handle the baby. Educate them to avoid any lapses.

The baby generally goes for a long sleep as he is exhausted. The mother can call up the Doctor and take medical advise. The baby will be dull for a day or two and resume normalcy again. Your bouncy little bundle should be kept free from infections leading to high fever.

Precaution is better than care. Therefore do your best to protect your baby and enjoy being a mother.

What causes seizures in babies?

Seizures occur when the nerve cells in the brain fire abnormally as a result of nerve damage, problems with the brain’s chemistry, or a high fever. Both nerve damage and brain chemistry irregularities can be caused by a birth defect or by an injury to the brain or nervous system, such as a blow to the head.

Febrile seizures are caused by high fever, they are harmless and common in children between 6 months and 5 years old. You need to ensure the baby has no health problems leading to an infection. Prevent baby from having fever as re- occurrence of a seizure or fits is high when body temperature crosses 101dec C. Constantly monitor baby’s temperature. If you make the baby sleep under a fan you cannot assess the temperature. Externally baby will look OK , but when you keep thermometer under the arm pit you will realize the difference.

Febrile seizures can also occur due to dehydration. Dehydration is a direct result of a previous illness that included sweating and fever. Malnutrition or a body weakened by disease or illness makes small children more susceptible to seizures.

Family history can play a role in toddlers or infants having seizures. If a family member was prone to or had seizures, especially febrile seizures, as a child this trait may be inherited.

What is epilepsy? Is seizure and epilepsy the same health issue?

Epilepsy is a condition that makes people more susceptible to having seizures. A child may have epilepsy if he has had two or more unprovoked seizures. There are many possible causes, such as head injuries, brain development disorders, infections or heredity. Usually, however, there is no detectable cause for a child’s epilepsy.

No , seizure and epilepsy are not the same. Seizure is a result of high fever and epilepsy is an unprovoked seizure.

Some people also refer this condition as convulsion or “fit”. The brain is an amazing, yet delicate structure that is able to send and receive millions of electrical messages within milliseconds. If there is an interruption in this constant flow of messages, the signals become jumbled and confused. These scrambled electrical impulses can quickly spread throughout the brain, causing a seizure. Fortunately, in seizure and convulsion, the brain eventually relaxes back into its usual pattern and the convulsions stop. Apart from some confusion, the person generally returns to normal.

What are the symptoms of a seizure?

The symptoms and degree of seizure varies from baby to baby. It depends on the baby’s physical condition . Listed below are the general symptoms observed for babies during a seizure.

• jerking movements of the arms and legs
• stiffening of the body
• wide open eyes staring at one particular point.
• White foamy saliva coming from the mouth.
• loss of consciousness
• breathing problems or breathing stops
• loss of bowel or bladder control
• falling suddenly for no apparent reason
• not responding to noise or words for brief periods
• appearing confused or in a haze
• nodding the head
• periods of rapid eye blinking and staring
• sleepiness and irritable upon waking in the morning

During the seizure, the child’s lips may become bluish and breathing may not be normal. The movements are often followed by a period of sleep or confusion.

You need to carefully observe your baby’s behavior and inform the pediatrician. This will enable the doctor to assess the situation and diagnose accordingly.

Do seizures cause brain damage?

Minor seizures or Febrile seizures are considered harmless if it lasts for less than 5 minutes. But seizures longer than that need medical intervention as they can damage the brain. Children having repeated seizures with high fever are affected in the long run . They will not be at par with all kids at school. Do not pressurize him to study. The baby’s mental growth will be retarded, the memory of the baby is also affected. Take extra care and do your best  to ensure baby does not get high fever.

What should I do if I think my child has had a seizure?

Consult the doctor and check if the baby has to be brought to the hospital right away. Usually doctors refer for an ElectroEncephaloGraph (EEG) to record his brain’s electrical activity. I had a tough time to watch my baby when the technician was attaching electrodes to my baby’s head, but the procedure is painless. From the results, your doctor will be able to tell whether your child has had a seizure, whether he’s likely to have one again, and whether he needs further tests, such as an MRI or CT scan, or a consultation with a neurologist. There will be crests and troughs on the graph. The technician notes down all baby’s activities in that duration for example: if the baby coughs , sneezes and moves body to eliminate wrong interpretation.

There is nothing you can do at that time. Stay with your child until the seizure stops. Baby will go in for a long sleep as he is exhausted. Follow medical advise and medications religiously.

These are situations in a parent’s life when you need to gear up and stand by each other. Both the parents need moral support. This article is written to prepare you in case a situation develops. Your baby’s going to be fine.