With statistics presented by a study in August 2019 showing that 4-10 per cent of children experience at least 1 seizure in the first 16 years of their life and 5 per cent of children during the first 5 years of life, it is clear that epilepsy in children is not a very uncommon problem.

In fact, more than half of the cases of epilepsy start in the childhood itself.As against the common notion, epilepsy does not affect the intelligence of the children in most cases. “Most children with epilepsies can lead a near normal life but they have to take their medications regularly. 70 per cent of epilepsies are well controlled with medication and the children can manage their day-to-day studies and activities with ease. However, there is a remaining 30 per cent of children who suffer from difficult-to-control epilepsies, primarily due to structural damage in the brain or some other neurological causes, which hinders in day-to-day activities,” clarified Dr. Amit Haldar, Epileptologist and Consultant Neurologist at Fortis Hospital Anandapur.

“Unlike the general thought, a majority of children have an intelligence level as that of a normal child whereas only a minority of 20-25 per cent are not so intelligent and may need special help,” he said. Explaining the key causes for the disorder in children, Dr. Amit Haldar said that the incidence of children with epilepsy is generally due to the following reasons: Genetic factors and sometimes due to acquired causes like perinatal injuries which take place due to improper antenatal care during birth. It can also take place due to infections of the brain like encephalitis, meningitis or chromosomal disorders.

There are also some epilepsy syndromes which can occur in early childhood in school-going children, the most significant of which is Childhood Absence Epilepsy along with other syndromes like Juvenile Absence Epilepsy and Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy which are common in the adolescent phase. Ideally, episodes of epilepsy attack due to structural malfunctions of the brain or some metabolic disorder can present within the first few days of the life, while those due to other factors will present little later after passing of the neonatal stage.