The symptoms of epilepsy in children can be scary. But with these these coping strategies, you can find ways to manage and treat your child’s epilepsy.
Epilepsy is a common condition in Singapore: in fact, there are about 150 new cases of epilepsy diagnosed each year. The experience of witnessing your child’s first seizure can be upsetting to many parents. As such, the issues of raising a child with epilepsy are much more emotional than you may think.
Luckily, you can develop coping strategies that will benefit both you and your child in the long run. There are multiple options available for the treatment and management of this condition. These may involve children’s epilepsy medication, special dietary therapy and surgery.
In children who have a benign form of epilepsy, treatment may be started if the seizures are frequent. Treatment for a few years can help control the seizures, giving the child time to outgrow the disease while avoiding the side effects of the seizures, such as cognitive and behavioural impairment. In more severe cases, the seizures can continue or even worsen as the child gets older despite treatment.
At KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), a number of doctors take a holistic view to the treatment of epilepsy. “While anti-seizure medicine is the first line of treatment, management is tailored to each individual case,” noted Dr Derrick Chan, Head and Senior Consultant, Paediatric Neurology Service, KKH, a member of the SingHealth group.
Read on for more childhood epilepsy facts and how to manage epilepsy in children.
In partnership with
Copyright © Ministry of Health Singapore. All rights reserved.
Follow us
