According to Dr. Paul Levisohn, a pediatric neurologist at Denver Children's Hospital, epilepsy can be difficult to diagnose in children because children cannot easily express what they are feeling or experiencing. The symptoms they display might be mistaken for another condition, resulting in months or years without a proper diagnosis. The symptoms displayed will vary for each child and will depend on the type of epilepsy she has. Recognizing them is crucial, however; untreated epilepsy in a child can result in learning disabilities and behavioral and social problems.
Blank Stare
You will recognize this symptom, known as a petit mal seizure, if your child stops what he is doing and stares blankly as though he is daydreaming. His arm or head may jerk slightly, but this type of seizure will typically not result in him falling down or losing consciousness. Once the seizure ends, usually within 30 seconds to a minute, he will not realize what happened.
Total Convulsions
Grand mal seizures are the cause of total body convulsions. These seizures, the most serious type, will cause your child to fall to the ground and lose consciousness. They typically last 2 to 5 minutes, during which time your child's body will stiffen and shake uncontrollably. She may lose control of her bladder, salivate at the mouth and roll her eyes back. After the seizure ends, she will be confused for a few minutes, her muscles may ache and she will sleep for a long period of time.
Twitching
While twitching can occur with many different types of epilepsy, it is more pronounced with focal epilepsy. The twitching is usually localized, starting possibly in one finger or hand. It then gets worse, involving an arm and then spreading until part or all of the body is twitching. The child may or may not lose consciousness with this type of seizure.
Auras
An aura, considered a warning sign, occurs just before a seizure takes place. An aura can cause your child to suddenly feel ill for no reason, to hear sounds that are not real or to smell things that don't exist. He may also have problems with his vision or odd feelings somewhere in his body, especially in his stomach. Although he may not recognize these warning signs as an aura, over time you will be able to connect these early signs with his epileptic episodes.
