First Glance

1. Will epilepsy interfere with my child's schooling?

Ans. Most children whose seizures are well-controlled and who do not have additional handicaps can attend a normal school and take part in all activities. Extracurricular activities such as swimming, climbing and cycling on the road should be avoided. In most schools teachers would be happier being fore-warned that a child might have a seizure and know what to expect and what to do.

2. Can my child play with video games or watch TV? Can he work with computers?

Ans. Photo-sensitive epilepsy affects only 5% of all people with epilepsy. To reduce the risk of a seizure, sit at least 10 feet away from a TV set, keep a light on in the room, use remote control to change channels, cover one eye if you have to go up to the set to change channels and watch only one programme at a sitting.

Video games may also precipitate seizures not only because of the flickering light, but also because of the changing patterns of the images. Text on a computer screen does not produce such a problem.

3. What jobs can my child do?

Ans. Jobs need to be considered from two points of view. If your child has a seizure while working, will it involve risk to other people or risk to self? A job involving driving of vehicle should not be undertaken. Before choosing a vocation, the applicant should make himself aware of the medical conditions which might preclude his working in a particular job. Jobs that include risk to the patient himself are: working with heavy machinery, working at height, working near electricity, working underwater or in a mine.

4. My child fell out of bed at age 1 year- could this be a cause of his seizures?

Ans. Highly unlikely. Trivial trauma rarely produces seizures. Factors which increase the likelihood of late post traumatic epilepsy include; post- traumatic amnesia>24 hours, focal neurological signs, a tear in the dura, and seizures in the first week after head injury

5. My grandson aged 7 years, had fever followed by seizures (febrile seizures) on two occasion, at age 2 and 3 respectively.
    Can he develop epilepsy?

Ans. Unlikely. The chances are 95 to 98 out of a hundred that the child will not get epilepsy.

6. My child's seizures continue to occur despite taking multiple drugs. Would surgery be a possible option?

Ans. About 70% of patients are seizure free on one antiepileptic drug. An additional 10% can be controlled with changes in drug regime including the addition of a new AED. 20% of patients have medically intractable seizures and can be considered for epilepsy surgery. These patients need careful preoperative assessment and this and the subsequent surgery should only be carried out at specialized epilepsy centres. Such centres are now being developed in India. 60-70% of patients who undergo surgery become seizure free and 10-20% become considerably better. In general, young people of normal intelligence and without medical and psychiatric complications and whose seizures have remained intractable for up to 5 year should be considered for surgery.

7. Is there a cure? Can my child grow out of epilepsy?

Ans. The majority of people with epilepsy stop having seizures once they have been put on treatment (remission). This treatment is continued for 2 to 3 years and then gradually tapered off. In most of these patients the chances of having another seizure do exist, but are small.