Caring for Childhood Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a condition that causes repeated seizures, or sudden changes in brain activity, without a clear or temporary cause.
Seizures can look very different from one child to another. Some involve shaking or loss of consciousness, while others may appear as staring spells, brief pauses in activity or changes in movement or behavior. Wherever your child falls on this spectrum, LifeBridge Health’s Division of Pediatric Neurology provides careful evaluation, diagnosis and ongoing care.
Types of Seizures We Evaluate and Treat
A seizure type describes what a seizure looks like and how it affects the body. Our pediatric neurology team evaluates and treats many seizure types, including:
- Absence seizures, which may appear as brief staring spells or pauses in activity
- Focal seizures, which start in one area of the brain and may affect awareness, movement or sensation
- Generalized seizures, including convulsive seizures that affect the whole body
- Infantile spasms, a seizure type seen in infancy that requires urgent evaluation
- Febrile seizures, which occur with fever in young children
- Nocturnal seizures, which occur during sleep
- Reflex seizures, which are triggered by specific stimuli in some children
Epilepsy Syndromes We Evaluate and Treat
An epilepsy syndrome is a diagnosis based on a pattern of findings, such as a child’s age, seizure type, EEG results, development and genetics.
Epilepsy syndromes we evaluate and treat include:
- Childhood absence epilepsy
- Focal epilepsy
- Genetic generalized epilepsy
- Epileptic encephalopathies
- Epilepsies related to genetic or metabolic conditions
Identifying an epilepsy syndrome helps guide treatment decisions, anticipate how seizures may change over time and support long-term care planning.
Evaluation and Diagnosis
Evaluation begins with a careful review of seizure events, medical history and family concerns. When needed, testing helps confirm a diagnosis and guide care.
EEG Testing
An electroencephalogram (EEG) records brain activity and helps identify seizure patterns. We offer several EEG options based on your child’s needs, including:
- Office-based EEGs
- Hospital EEGs
- Overnight EEG monitoring in the hospital
- Overnight EEGs performed at home
- Rapid-response EEGs in the emergency department for urgent seizure evaluation
When appropriate, we use newer EEG technology that allows for faster setup and bedside testing. These options can be more comfortable for children and helpful in urgent situations.
Imaging
Imaging studies, such as MRI or CT scans, may be used to look for structural causes of seizures.
Genetic Testing
When a genetic or metabolic condition is suspected, we offer advanced testing, including Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). Genetic testing can help identify the cause of seizures and guide treatment planning.
Treatment and Ongoing Care
Treatment plans are tailored to each child and may include antiseizure medications, lifestyle guidance and seizure safety planning. Our team helps families understand medication options, possible side effects, school considerations, activity guidelines and emergency action plans.
For children with difficult-to-control seizures, we coordinate advanced testing and multidisciplinary care. Ongoing follow-up and education are an important part of epilepsy care at LifeBridge Health.