If your child has epilepsy, he or she is not alone — 2.5 million Americans have this disorder.
Anyone can get epilepsy at any age, but the majority of new diagnoses are in kids. About two-thirds of all kids with epilepsy outgrow the seizures that accompany it by the time they're teens.
About Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a nervous system condition that causes electrical signals in the brain to misfire. These disruptions cause temporary communication problems between nerve cells, leading to seizures. One seizure is not considered epilepsy — kids with epilepsy have multiple seizures over a period of time.
Epilepsy:
- is not the only cause of childhood seizures
- is not a mental illness
- does not usually affect intelligence
- is not contagious
- does not typically worsen over time
Causes of Epilepsy
In about half the cases of epilepsy, there is an identifiable cause. These include:
- infectious illness (such as meningitis or encephalitis)
- brain malformation during pregnancy
- trauma to the brain (including lack of oxygen) during birth or an accident
- underlying metabolic disorders
- brain tumors
- blood vessel malformation
- strokes
- chromosome disorders
The other half of epilepsy cases are idiopathic (the cause is unknown). In some of these, there may be a family history of epilepsy — a child who has a parent or other close family member with the condition is more likely to have it too. Researchers are working to determine what specific genetic factors are responsible.
