Seizures during childhood

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HealthWiki > Epilepsy and Seizures > Chapter 3: Types of seizures and how to identify them > Seizures during childhood

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

• Chapter 3: Types of seizures and how to identify them
• There are many types of seizures
• Identifying types of seizures
• Absence seizures
• When seizures are an emergency
• Seizures during sleep
• Seizures during childhood
• Health conditions that can cause seizures
• Seizures from alcohol and drug use
• Chemicals can cause seizures
• Seizures with psychological causes

During the first 3 years, children’s bodies develop quickly as new connections form in the brain, and between the brain and the rest of the body. Puberty, which begins between 8 and 14 years of age, is another time when change happens quickly and new hormones (chemicals that control growth) affect the brain’s electrical activity. All this rapid change makes seizures most common during these years. Childhood seizures may be caused by a variety of conditions, including fever and epilepsy.

Fever seizures

The most common seizures in children—fever seizures—are not epilepsy. However, in rare cases, fever seizures can increase the risk that a child will develop epilepsy.

Fever seizure (also called “febrile seizure”)
Description: Happens between 3 months and 6 years of age, most commonly between 6 and 18 months, and rarely during adulthood Triggered by a fever above 38 3°C (101°F) from sore throat, ear infection, bad cold, or other cause Can be generalized or focal, with tonic-clonic convulsions (arm and leg muscles stiffen, and legs and arms jerk repeatedly) or only tonic (stiffness) or clonic (rhythmic jerks) Loss of bladder or bowel control Seizure lasts less than 5 minutes, sometimes happens as a group of seizures
How to know if it’s a fever seizure: Age: If the child is younger than 3 months or older than 6 years, fever may not be the cause Previous fever seizures: Children who have fever seizures once may have them again when they have a high fever Fever seizures in the family: If a child’s siblings have had fever seizures, they may too Health problems that can cause high fevers and seizures: Diarrhea, viral infection with cold and cough, infection in the lungs or skin, malaria, meningitis, and others
Medicines: Medicines to lower fever and medicines to treat condition causing it are both needed (see Chapter 4). Antiseizure medicines will not help.	After the seizure: Child quickly recovers, can breastfeed and eat Seizures will likely stop when health condition causing fever is treated.

Childhood epilepsy syndromes

An “epilepsy syndrome” is a collection of signs, symptoms, and seizure types that usually start around a specific age or under certain conditions. Recognizing and treating a syndrome early is important. More than 30 different syndromes affect children and adolescents. Most require care and management for a person’s entire life.

Dravet syndrome begins in early childhood, often during the first year of life. A child with Dravet syndrome can have tonic, clonic, tonic-clonic, myoclonic, fever, and absence seizures.

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) begins before age 4. A child with LGS may have atonic, tonic, or absence seizures that are slightly different from the typical absence seizure. Typical absence seizures usually involve only a blank stare, but absence seizures with LGS may include muscle movements, such as blinking eyes, smacking lips, or rubbing of the fingers or hands.

West syndrome or infantile spasms (also called “baby spasms”) can happen between 3 and 18 months of age, most commonly starting at 6 months. Arms and legs open and close suddenly and the body bends forward. Babies may cry during or after these seizures. Seizures last only a second to 10 seconds, but they can happen close together in a series.

Seizures caused by Dravet syndrome, LGS, and West syndrome can be managed with medicines, but treatment can be complicated. If seizures are uncontrolled, children are at risk for status epilepticus, behavior and mood changes, and delays in learning and development.

A doctor with experience in epilepsy can use brain scans, blood tests, and the child’s and family’s health histories to find out if seizures are caused by one of these rare forms of epilepsy in children.

I feel so relieved to know his seizures can be treated. I just felt something was not right with the way his body was moving.

This page was updated:19 May 2026