Overcoming Seizures In Infants And Toddlers

Seizures, whether or not accompanied by fever, can be fatal impact. That is why, after giving first aid, take your child immediately to the hospital.

Seizures themselves are the result of excessive muscle contractions in a certain time without being able to be controlled. One cause of febrile seizures in the high temperature of the child. Onset of febrile seizures is termed febrile seizures (convalsio febrillis) or stuip / step.
The problem is, each child's tolerance to the fever vary. In children with a low tolerance, then the fever at body temperature 38 C had been able to make seizures. While the children were normal tolerance, new seizures experienced if the temperature had reached 39 C or more.



IMMEDIATELY TAKE TO DOCTOR

To prevent things that are not desirable, it is recommended that parents give first aid as soon as possible so know your child has a febrile seizure.

After that, do not wait any more time immediately bring the child to the nearest doctor or clinic. Do not dwell only on the duration of seizures, some only a few seconds or many minutes. That way, your child will receive further treatment right from the experts. Usually the doctor will give febrifuge, as well as provide drug used to treat seizures and seizure. "As first aid, do not take him directly to a hospital that is located relatively complete further because your child might get more dangerous due to the risk of slower get first aid."

In addition, if a febrile seizure should not get immediate treatment, the child would be exposed to any risk of mental retardation. Because febrile seizures can cause damage to brain cells of children. So, if seizures continue for a long time, the possibility of damaged cells will be more and more. It is not possible intelligence levels of children will decrease dramatically and can no longer develop optimally.

Even some cases of febrile seizures can cause epilepsy in children. No less important, so children affected by febrile seizures, the parents should be extra careful. You see, in the first year after the incident, a similar seizure or even a greater chance of recurrence.

To anticipate, and prepare a febrifuge and anticonvulsant drugs that have been prescribed the pediatrician. Even so, parents should not overly worry. Due to the proper handling and immediate, febrile seizures that lasted a few moments generally do not cause brain dysfunction.

CHARACTERISTICS Seizures

Of course in this case the parents should be able to read the characteristics of a child affected by febrile seizures. Among them:

* Both legs and arms stiff movements with a strong shock and convulsions for 5 minutes. eyes turned upward

* Clenched teeth

* Vomiting

* Not infrequently the child stopped breathing for a moment.

* In some cases can not control your bowel / small.

* In severe cases, the child is often unconscious. The intensity of a seizure also vary widely, from a few seconds to tens of minutes.

TIPS Overcome Fever Seizures

Here are some explanations about the seizures and fever in children:. Child's normal body temperature ranges between 36-37 C. Otherwise your child has a fever if her temperature measured by mouth / ear showed the 37.8 C; through the rectum 38 C, and 37.2 C through higher ketiak.Sebelum, immediately give febrifuge. .

Parents should not be so easy to tell if a child has a fever just by putting his hand on the back of the child's forehead. This method is clearly not accurate because it is very influenced by the temperature sensitivity and the parents themselves.

Mercury thermometer is believed to be the most appropriate way to measure body temperature. Body temperature measurements would be more accurate if the thermometer is placed in the mouth or rectum / anus than the armpits.

When faced with a child who is febrile seizures, as far as possible, try to stay calm. Attitudes panic will only make us do not know what to do that might make a child suffering worse.

Do not use alcohol or cold water to lower the body temperature of children who had a fever. Alcohol use is very likely to cause irritation to the eyes and intoxication / poisoning.

Safer use plain water compresses placed on the forehead, armpits, and groin. Compress is aimed at lowering the temperature of the body. The fall in temperature is expected to occur because of the body heat is used to evaporate water on the cloth compresses. A drastic drop in temperature it is not recommended.

Do not try to give aspirin or other drugs containing salicylates for allegedly can trigger Reye's syndrome, a type of disease that are rare and affect the liver, blood, and brain.

Once the child is fully awake, persuade him to drink and eat a lot of soup or fruits that contain lots of water. Can be juice, milk, tea, and other beverages. Thus, the body fluid that evaporates due to high temperatures can quickly be replaced.

Do not blanket the child with a thick blanket. Blankets and heavy clothing and closed it will increase body temperature and prevents evaporation. Tight or binding clothing that is too tight it should be uninstalled.

PARENTS CAN DO

* Immediately give febrifuge so the child's body temperature exceeded 37.5 C.

* Apply a warm cloth (the temperature is approximately equal to the temperature of the child). Do not compress with cold water, because it can lead to "short circuit" / strong collision in the brain between the child's body temperature with cold compresses earlier.

* In order for your child is not injured, move objects that are hard or sharp near children. . No need to hold your baby's mouth to keep it open with a prop / menggigitkan something between his teeth. . Tilt the child's body position so that the patient does not swallow his own vomit fluid can interfere with breathing.

* Do not give drinks / food immediately after seizure stops because it will likely make your child choking.

Seizures WITHOUT FEVER

The causes vary. Just do not get repeated and prolonged as it can damage the brain cells. According to dr. Merry C. Siboro, SP.A, from Metro Hospital Medical Centre, Jakarta, seizures are excessive muscle contractions in the will.

"Convulsions possibility could occur if a baby or child's body temperature is too high or it could be without a fever."

Febrile seizures called febrile seizures (convalsio febrilis). Usually caused by a disease in a child's body. For example, a high fever due to respiratory infections, ear inflammation, gastrointestinal infections, and urinary tract infections. While seizures without fever is a febrile seizure no. Are also common in children.

Can be experienced ALL CHILDREN

The condition generally appears seizure of body stiffened and his eyes turned upward. This condition is commonly called step or seizure toniklonik (kejet-kejet). Seizures without fever can be experienced by all children under five. Even newborns.

Mostly because there are congenital abnormalities that impair the functioning of the brain that can cause seizures. It could also be due to birth trauma, the presence of infections in the last moment of birth, the birth process is not difficult so that some oxygen to the brain, or suffer from large or small heads.

Babies born weighing over 4,000 grams could be at risk of having seizures without fever at the time through a period of neonates (28 days after birth).

"It's usually caused by maternal history of diabetes, so that his son had hipoglemi (disruption of blood sugar). Thus, even baseball fever, seizures he can. "

Furthermore, the baby with the disorder caused by diabetes hipoglemik will be prone to seizures. "For example, late given to drink it, he immediately seizures." Interestingly, even premature babies rarely suffer from seizures. "Sufferers more babies just months. Presumably because the nervous system is more vulnerable than perfect that premature babies who are not perfect. "

Not to happen

Important note, if the child had a seizure, there is a chance he could spasm again. In fact, recurrent seizures should not be allowed in addition should not last long or longer than 5 minutes. If there can harm children.

The problem is, every time the child has seizures asphyxiation or lack of oxygen in the blood. "Every minute, seizures can cause damage to cells in the brain, because the inhibition of oxygen flow to the brain.

Imagine what happens when the kids go back and forth a seizure, how many thousands of cells would be damaged? The lack of oxygen flow to the brain can cause some brain cells were damaged.

"The damage in the brain can cause seizures, paralysis, and even mental retardation. Therefore, in children who had seizures or convulsions talented, parents should continue to monitor recurrent seizures that do not occur.

Monitored THREE YEARS

The risk of seizure recurrence in children, usually depending on the type of seizures and the presence or absence of neurological disorder based on the EEG (Electroencephalography). Among infants with neonatal seizures (without fever), there will be resurrection without fever in the first 7 years in 25% of cases. Seventy-five percent of infants who experience seizures will become epileptic.

Should be sought, in the three years after the first seizure, do not have the following seizures.

Your doctor will monitor for three years thereafter, after the first seizure came. If in three years there were no seizures again, if only for a few seconds, then for the next child has baik.Artinya prognosis, did not happen neurological and mental disorders.

But what if, after treatment, was in his second year having a seizure again? "The count has to start again from the first year." Anyway, the time period for monitoring is considered safe for three years after the seizure.

So, for three years after the first seizure, the child should be free of seizures. The children were seizure-free for three years and thereafter, will generally be better and better. Except in children who are born with congenital abnormalities already have, such as a small head (microcephaly) or large head (makrosefali), and if there is a tumor in the brain.

VARIOUS CAUSES

"Seizures without fever can be derived from an abnormality in the brain, not from the brain, or heredity," penjabarannya one below.

* Any disease or disorder of neurological disorders that impair the functioning of the brain can cause seizures.

For example, due to birth trauma, head trauma, brain tumor, brain inflammation, bleeding in the brain, or lack of oxygen in brain tissue (hypoxia).

* Not neurological disorders can be caused by blood electrolytes due to vomiting and diarrhea, low blood sugar due to a long illness, lack of food intake, long seizures caused by epilepsy, metabolic disorders, circulatory disorders, drug toxicity / chemical substances, allergies and birth defects.

* Heredity seizures due to other diseases such as epilepsy usually come from families with a history of febrile seizures together. Parents who have had seizures in childhood should be wary because of his high risk of seizures of the same.

Beware UNDER 6 MONTHS

Parents should be vigilant when children are seizures without fever, especially under the age of 6 months, because likely to suffer from major epilepsy.

The problem is, seizures in children under 6 months, especially in the neonatal period is unique. "Not only as toniklonik which as we know, but also in the form of other movements. For example, his eyes squint up and moving, as his lips twitch or tremor.

Doctors usually alert, but if seizure occurs in the home, mothers rarely ngeh. "That is why parents should pay attention to correct the condition of the baby.

HELPING CHILDREN Seizures

1. Do not panic, immediately loosen or remove loose clothing and all that block the windpipe. So if you're eating a sudden seizures child, or there is something in his mouth during seizures, immediately remove it.

2. Tilt the child's body as most children who were seizure secrete fluids from his mouth. "It's actually a lot of saliva in number because the nerves that regulate salivary glands of control again. If it was a seizure, right, central nervous disturbed. Not just saliva, tears can come out. "To tilt the body is that these fluids straight out, not even settled at the mouth of the risk clogging the airways and worsen the situation.

3. Do not easily believe that to drink coffee on the children who were seizure can immediately stop the seizures. "Medically, coffee useless to overcome the seizures. Coffee can actually cause respiratory obstruction when administered when the child has seizures, which may lead to death. "

4. Immediately take the child to the nearest hospital, not to run is not got the brain of oxygen. "Keep a long spasm no more than three minutes. Prepare anticonvulsant medication suggested by your doctor if the child had ever had a history of seizures or convulsions. "

MANAGEMENT

Penatalaksaan seizures include:

1. Handling during seizures

* Stopping seizures: initial dose Diazepam 0.3 to 0.5 mg / kg / dose IV (Intra Venous Injection) (slowly) or 0.4 to 0.6 mg / kg / dose of rectal suppositories. When seizures can not be resolved can be repeated with the same dose 20 minutes later.

* Lower the fever:

Anti Piretika: Paracetamol 10 mg / kg / dose PO (Per Oral / through the mouth) administered 3-4 times a day.

Compress; temperature> 39 º C with warm water, temperature> 38 º C with plain water.

* Treatment of the cause: antibiotics are given as an indication to the basic disease.

* Handling other sportsmanship include: free the airway, administration of oxygen, provide water and electrolyte balance, consider the balance of blood pressure.

2. Prevention of Seizures

* Prevention periodic (intermittent) for simple febrile seizures with Diazepam 0.3 mg / kg / dose PO (Per Oral / oral) and anti piretika when children suffering from febrile illness.

* Prevention continuous for febrile seizure complicated by vaproat Acid 15-40 mg / kg / dose PO (orally / by mouth) in 2-3 divided doses.

EPILEPSY CHILDREN TO CONTROL EVERY 3 MONTHS

Those at risk of suffering from epilepsy are children born to families with a history of epilepsy. As well as children with neurological abnormalities before the first seizure came, either with or without fever.

Children who are potentially frequent epileptic seizures. But do not worry, children who suffer from epilepsy, except those born with the disorder or disturbance of growth, can grow and develop like other children. Their academic achievement is not inferior to normal children.

So, we do not need to isolate the child can develop epilepsy because he normally like other children. "Importantly, he handled it well. Usually when a child is often a seizure, your doctor will prescribe who can take care lest more seizures.

In children epilepsy, focal treatment is to avoid having a seizure again. For that, the need to control, at least every 3 months for monitoring of doctors go on. "