Epilepsy results from abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can cause seizures affecting the whole body or only particular functions. A childhood condition, benign rolandic epilepsy causes partial seizures in affected children. Seizures usually occur at night when the child is asleep, causing facial numbness, drooling and a temporary inability to speak, but the child remains conscious. In some children, the seizures generalize to cause loss of consciousness and whole body seizures.
Wait It Out
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, most children outgrow benign rolandic epilepsy within five years of the first seizure. By the age of 14, 95 percent of children with benign rolandic epilepsy will be symptom-free. The anticonvulsant drugs used to treat epileptic seizures can have serious side effects, so in many cases, families decide to forgo medical treatment for benign rolandic epilepsy and let the child outgrow it naturally. Medical experts including Johns Hopkins Medical Center approve of this approach in cases where the seizures are infrequent, mild and confined to the nighttime without disrupting sleep.
Partial Seizure Medications
Because of the risk of side effects, patients with benign rolandic epilepsy who need seizure medication must work closely with their doctors to adjust the type of medication and its dosage. According to the New York University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, doctors commonly prescribe gabapentin and oxcarbazepine to treat children with partial seizures due to benign rolandic epilepsy. Usually low doses of these drugs effectively control the seizures, but according to the Merck Manual, both drugs can cause can cause drowsiness, dizziness and headache. Gabapentin can cause mood swings, aggressive behavior and hyperactivity, while oxcarbazepine can cause a drop in sodium levels in the blood and decrease the level of infection-fighting white blood cells.
Generalized Seizure Medications
For children with benign rolandic epilepsy who have had more than one generalized seizure, a doctor might prescribe levetiracetam or carbamazepine, according to Johns Hopkins Medical Center. Like the partial seizure medications, levetiracetam can cause dizziness, changes in behavior and a low white blood cell count. Levetiracetam can also cause weakness and lack of coordination. Carbamazepine can upset the stomach and interfere with speech and vision; more seriously, it can alter the body's production of blood cells with potentially fatal consequences. Children with benign rolandic epilepsy taking either partial or whole body seizure medications continue with them until they reach the age of 15, according to the New York University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, when the vast majority will have outgrown the condition.
