Publication date Sep 06, 2007
You might be worried if you've been told your child has absence seizures. But medicines work well. Most children grow out of absence seizures by the time they're 12 years old.
During an absence seizure, children 'shut off' for a few seconds. They stare blankly into space and don't know what's going on around them.
The child loses consciousness, usually for less than 10 seconds. But a child can have lots of seizures. Some have dozens every day.
There are two types of absence seizure. This information is about typical absence seizures. They used to be called petit mal seizures. They are a type of epilepsy caused by electrical activity in the brain.
The trouble with absence seizures is that your child may find it hard to learn because they keep missing things. Also, they might have an accident if they have a seizure while doing something risky.
Medicines work well to control seizures. But your child may need to avoid activities like climbing, swimming unsupervised or cycling on busy roads.
It can be difficult to tell if a child has absence seizures. The symptoms are not always clear.
Here are some signs you can look for. A child might:
If your child has this type of seizure, they should see an epilepsy specialist. The doctor may be able to diagnose absence seizures by doing an electroencephalogram (EEG). This test measures the electrical activity in your child's brain.
Medicines can't cure epilepsy. But they may cut down the number of absence seizures your child has, or stop them altogether. They can cause side effects.
You'll need to talk to your doctor about whether the benefit of treatment is worth the risk of side effects for your child.
For all these medicines, your child's doctor will start the treatment at a low dose and gradually increase it. You mustn't change your child's dose or stop the treatment without speaking with your doctor.
Epilepsy medicines can interfere with some medicines used to treat other illnesses. Tell the doctor and pharmacist about your child's epilepsy medicine, if they are being treated for other illnesses.
Valproate (brand names Convulex and Epilim) is often the first drug doctors try for absence seizures in children.
For 8 in 10 children, taking valproate can cut the number of seizures they have by at least half.
Your child might get an upset stomach, put on weight, get shaking hands or lose their hair temporarily, while taking valproate. There's also a small chance that valproate might cause problems with your child's blood (a condition called thrombocytopaenia) or liver. But these problems are rare.
Ethosuximide (brand names Emeside and Zarontin) is one of the main treatments for absence seizures.
For 8 in 10 children, taking ethosuximide can cut their seizures by at least half.
Your child might get an upset stomach, lose their appetite, lose weight and feel sleepy while taking ethosuximide. Some children get headaches, find that bright lights hurt their eyes, and behave slightly differently. There's a small chance that ethosuximide will cause a problem with the liver or blood, or a serious rash. But these problems are rare.
Lamotrigine (brand name Lamictal) is usually used only if valproate or ethosuximide don't work or cause side effects. Lamotrigine can be prescribed with valproate in children aged 2 years to 12 years, or on its own in children over 12.
Lamotrigine seems to work as well as valproate. But valproate works more quickly.
Your child may have an upset stomach, stomach pain or a headache while taking lamotrigine. They may also lose their appetite or feel dizzy. Some children get a skin rash, which can be serious. If your child gets a rash or flu-like symptoms while taking lamotrigine, take them to a doctor straight away.
Most children grow out of absence seizures. About 9 in 10 children stop getting them by the time they are 12 years old.
About 1 in 10 children start to get other types of epileptic seizures as they get older. But they stop having absence seizures and they have the other type of seizure only rarely.
Most children don't need epilepsy medicines for the rest of their life. Your child's doctor may gradually reduce then stop the medicine, to see if the seizures start again.
About one-third of children with absence seizures have problems with learning or behaviour. This might be because they miss things during seizures. Or it might be because their medicine makes them drowsy.
Stay calm. Don't shake your child. Don't shout at them or try to get them to "snap out of it." Stay with your child until they come out of the seizure.
Call an ambulance if the seizure lasts more than five minutes.
Take your child to a hospital accident and emergency department if:
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice.
If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.