Seizure in infants
Updated on All content is checked by medical journalists.What is a seizure?
A seizure occurs when abnormal electrical activity suddenly forms and spreads in addition to normal brain electrical activity. This process happens suddenly, usually without any external reason and cannot be influenced by the child. In most cases, a seizure is very threatening.
What are the signs of a seizure?
- Sudden loss of consciousness: the child loses contact, no longer reacts.
- Sudden paling
- In many cases: discrete relaxation of the muscles, the child "collapses".
- Or: lightning-like, rhythmic "nodding" of the head, tearing the arms apart, rhythmic arm or leg twitching
- staring or rolling eyes, squinting
- Changes in breathing (pauses in breathing, gasping breathing)
- Greyish-bluish skin color
- Usually a so-called "sleep afterwards" or "exhaustion sleep"
What are the causes of a seizure?
- Febrile seizure
- Infections of the central nervous system such as inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) and meninges (meningitis)
- Poisoning
- traumatic brain injury
- Metabolic disorders (e.g. hypoglycaemia in diabetes mellitus)
- Brain tumor
- miscellaneous
First aid measures
- Take the child out of a possible danger zone, if necessary lay it on the floor, reupholster it.
- Do not hold on to twitching limbs as injuries may occur.
- Calm down child!
- Observe the course of the seizure as closely as possible and note the duration. The information is important for the doctor and the treatment.
- After the seizure has passed: place the child on its side in a stable position.
- Call the ambulance as soon as possible.
- Calm down the child, keep them warm and do not leave them alone until the ambulance arrives.
- If the child feels very warm, there is a suspicion of a febrile seizure or an infection. Calf compresses or cold compresses lower the fever.
