Pediatric Seizures - How Common Are They?

An eleven year old female gets ready for bed and closes her eyes, anxiously awaiting the next morning, imagining herself in goal, saving every shot. When the alarm sounds the next day, she wouldn't wake up. Instead, her head is turned to one side as her body rhythmically jerks. Her mother tries to wake her, but she is unresponsive and breathing heavily. She is immediately brought to the hospital and later diagnosed with epilepsy. (2)

Categories:

There are two categories of seizures: generalized and focal. A generalized seizure is initiated from both brain hemispheres, and cause the patient to lose consciousness. On the other hand, focal seizures originate from a single area or one hemisphere of the brain. Often, consciousness is preserved.

Depending on the area of the brain, seizure symptoms and outcomes vary. Below is a chart of the different areas of the brain and associated symptoms. (1)

Temporal Lobe	Patient may experience an odd smell or odd taste Buzzing or ringing in the ears Fear or panic Abdominal discomfort
Frontal Lobe	May cause loss of motor control Changes in behavior Changes in language expression
Parietal Lobe	May cause a person to experience numbness or tingling Patient may feel burning or cold sensations
Occipital Lobe	Patient may see multicolored shapes Circles and flashes May experience a temporary loss of vision

Benign Childhood Epilepsy:

The most common type of focal epilepsy is Benign Childhood Epilepsy with a prevalence of 10-15% in children ages 7 to 9. (2) This type of seizure occurs mainly at night and begins with a pins and needles sensation of the limbs. Patients are initially conscious, but may lose consciousness as the seizure progresses. Thankfully, seizures often remit and leave without intervention.

Febrile Seizures:

Febrile seizures are the most common form of seizures in children and occur in children less than five years of age. Febrile seizures are caused by fevers with no intracranial infection. There are two types of febrile seizures: simple and complex. Additionally, there is a genetic connection with Febrile seizures, as "10-20% of first-degree relatives of children with febrile seizures will have experienced febrile seizures." (2)

Treatment of Seizures:

The overall consensus on treating seizures is that they must be treated calmly and methodically. Depending on the individuals history of seizures, treatment and medication methods will differ. (2)

Citations:

Fishman, Levi. “What to Know about Epilepsy.” NewYork-Presbyterian, 27 Dec. 2022, healthmatters.nyp.org/what-to-know-about-epilepsy/. 

Margetis, Konstantinos, et al. “Chiari malformation.” Common Neurosurgical Conditions in the Pediatric Practice, 16 Sept. 2016, pp. 301–320, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3807-0_21.