What Parents Should Know About Absence Seizures

While absence seizures are usually genetic, they can happen in people who have other conditions, such as PTSD, lack of sleep/ insomnia, severe stress, traumatic brain injuries, and more. To make things even more terrifying, absence seizures are most commonly found in children.

If your child recently hit their head on an object or you notice that they are acting or displaying strange symptoms, it may be time to consider seeking medical attention from a licensed physician who specializes in absence seizures.

What is an absence seizure?

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, an absence seizure causes individuals to lose consciousness for a few seconds or minutes, which can also be described as “blanking out.” This is one of the most difficult seizure disorders to notice and discover because the person will still appear awake, but they aren’t alert or aware of what is happening. These seizures are typically caused by “brief abnormal electrical activity in a person’s brain.” There are a few important factors that you should know about absence seizures, which include:

• Absence seizures start and occur in both sides of a person’s brain at the same exact time.
• Some people still use the term petit mal seizures for absence seizures, which is an older name that was used to describe the condition.
• When a person has an absence seizure, they usually recover very quickly.
• Absence seizures typically only affect the person for the short period of time that they are having one, meaning that they are only unaware of what is happening around them during the time of the seizure.

How common are absence seizures in children?

Absence seizures are much more common in children than adults. In fact, when it comes to people of all ages, absence seizures typically occur in five out of 100,000 people of all ages, but they can occur in eight out of 100,000 children who are 15 years old and younger. The Cleveland Clinic explains that “about 10% of all childhood epilepsies and seizures are absence seizures.”

This is very alarming for parents to learn, but the good news is that there is about a 75 percent chance that your child will eventually stop having or become less at risk for absence seizures once they reach a certain age. However, if your child has other types of seizures along with absence seizures, their likelihood of outgrowing this condition decreases.

What do absence seizures look like?

Many parents are unaware of absence seizures and do not know what warning signs to look out for. If you are a parent reading this and are taking the time to learn about absence seizures, you should pat yourself on the back. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a child could have more than 100 absence seizures in one day, and they may likely go unnoticed because their parents may not realize that it is a type of seizure. Instead, parents or teachers often think that the child is having issues concentrating and focusing.

As a parent, there are several different symptoms or signs that you should be informed about and aware of as they may indicate that your child is having absence seizures. Here are the different signs you should keep an eye out for:

• The child stops what they are doing suddenly and remains very still with no movements.
• The child’s eyelids start fluttering.
• The child begins smacking their lips or chewing.
• The child’s hands begin moving rapidly.
• The child’s muscles start jerking or twitching.
• The child may be in mid-sentence and suddenly stop talking.
• The child automatically returns to what they were doing right after the seizure without noticing anything unusual.

Since the child usually has no memory or recollection of anything out of the ordinary when the absence seizure occurs, it is up to you to notice that something seems abnormal and get them the medical assistance that they need. While absence seizures can mimic other types of seizures, your doctor will run tests and determine what type of seizure your child may be having. There is a chance that it could be an absence seizure, another type of seizure, or both.

How are absence seizures diagnosed?

Unfortunately, many children or even adults experience absence seizures for several years before they speak to a doctor about their symptoms. Therefore, if you believe there might be something different about your child or notice that they keep “spacing out” or daydreaming several times a day or week, it may be a good idea to get them checked for absence seizures. A doctor who specializes in seizures will listen to your child’s symptoms, run tests, and determine what may be causing your child’s “staring into space” and how to treat it. The following are some of the ways that absence seizures are found:

• An EEG test
• Kidney and liver tests
• Blood tests
• Spinal tap test
• CT scan
• MRI scan

Sometimes, it can be difficult to get your doctor to listen to you and your child’s needs. You must be prepared to stand up and advocate for your child’s condition to ensure that they get the proper medical attention that they need and deserve.

How can I be sure that my child isn’t just daydreaming or staring into space?

Many children have difficulties focusing and concentrating as well as frequently daydream or stare into space. However, the Epilepsy Foundation states that when a child is having an absence seizure, you cannot interrupt the seizure for its entire duration, which is usually around 20 to 30 seconds. Therefore, if you are curious to know whether your child is just daydreaming or having an absence seizure, the best piece of advice is to try to interrupt them. If your child is just daydreaming or staring into space, you can interrupt them and get their attention quickly again.

If your child develops a seizure disorder due to a birth injury or an accident caused by someone else, the Chicago personal injury lawyers at Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers are here to legally assist you. Our team is qualified to help you file a claim or pursue a lawsuit against the at-fault party or establishment that caused your child’s condition. We are compassionate, caring, understanding, and empathetic toward our clients who are going through difficult times, which is why we will do everything possible to fight for the maximum compensation your child needs to recover from their disorder, get the medical treatment they need, and rebuild their life again. Call or contact us to schedule your free, no-obligation case evaluation today.