BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- He suddenly fell to the ground, his whole body convulsed, and he foamed at the mouth...... Epilepsy, commonly known as "epilepsy", is a chronic brain disease caused by a variety of etiologies. Why do children get epilepsy? What should I do if I have a seizure? Can epilepsy be prevented and cured? The reporter interviewed relevant experts from Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University.
Q1: What is epilepsy and how can parents identify it as soon as possible?
Chen Chunhong, chief physician of the Department of Neurology of Beijing Children's Hospital, introduced that epilepsy is a chronic brain dysfunction disease caused by abnormal firing of neurons in the brain, and seizures are an acute symptom. Foaming at the mouth and convulsions are signs of seizures, but paresthesias such as sudden stiffness, numbness, and transient loss of consciousness or confusion should also be noted.
The key to early recognition of epilepsy is to watch your child for unusual manifestations or seizures. Once epilepsy is suspected, you should go to a pediatric neurology or pediatric department as soon as possible.
Q2: Why do children get epilepsy?
There are billions of neuronal cells in the human brain, they communicate through brain waves, and when the abnormal discharge of brain waves intensifies, the brain is "disordered", and normal brain functions are destroyed, forming abnormal brain networks, resulting in seizures.
Epilepsy can occur in people of any age, but it is more common in children and the elderly. There are various causes of childhood epilepsy, including genetic factors, abnormalities in brain structure, metabolic disorders, infections, immune responses, etc.
Q3: Can childhood epilepsy be prevented?
Deng Jie, deputy chief physician of the Department of Neurology at Beijing Children's Hospital, said that childhood epilepsy can be prevented to a certain extent. First of all, mothers should do a good job of health care during pregnancy, such as scientific supplementation of folic acid during pregnancy, scientific diet and exercise, regular prenatal checkups, avoid macrosomia, preterm birth and pregnancy risk factors, and reduce the risk of birth injury of newborns.
Second, avoid head injuries. Traumatic brain injury is one of the acquired causes of epilepsy, and children should wear safety helmets when riding bicycles, skating and skiing, horseback riding, electric vehicles, motorcycles, etc., and should use safety seats or seat belts when riding in cars.
Also, to prevent brain infections. Vaccination against tuberculosis, encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis can help prevent brain infections caused by the corresponding pathogens, thereby reducing the risk of epilepsy. Once a central nervous system infection occurs, it is also necessary to standardize treatment in a timely manner.
Q4: What should I do if my child has a seizure?
Poster production: Li Xiaoshan
Q5: Can epilepsy be cured? How can I reduce exacerbations?
Chen Chunhong introduced that at present, drug treatment is the most important and basic means of epilepsy treatment, in addition to ketogenic diet, neuromodulation technology adjuvant therapy, and some children can undergo epilepsy surgery. Experts said that as long as the treatment is standardized, about two-thirds of children with epilepsy can be controlled through drug treatment, achieving the same quality of life as normal children, and the drug can be stopped in the long term.
Children should maintain a regular daily routine, avoid staying up late, and reduce stress and fatigue. Parents should follow the doctor's instructions, give their children regular medications, do not miss medications, and must not increase or decrease the dose or stop taking the medication on their own.
Deng Jie said that the severity of epilepsy is not completely proportional to the number of seizures, but frequent seizures usually indicate that the condition is not well controlled, and parents should pay attention to it and take their children for standardized treatment.
Source: Xinhua News Agency