When it comes to seizures in babies, they can look very different from one child to another. If a child has repeated seizures without an obvious trigger, doctors call this condition epilepsy. The reassuring part is that many babies respond well to treatment, and some even outgrow epilepsy as they get older.
What are the Causes of Seizures in Babies?
Seizures fall into two main groups: provoked and unprovoked.- Provoked Seizures
These are the common causes of provoked seizures:
- Very high or very low blood sugar levels
- Head injury or trauma to the brain
- Infections of the brain, such as meningitis or encephalitis
- Severely high blood pressure
- Stroke or sudden disruption of blood flow to the brain
- Kidney or liver problems that allow toxins to build up in the body
- High fever, especially in infants and young babies
Unprovoked seizures happen without any obvious or immediate trigger. Even after detailed tests, doctors may not always be able to pinpoint a clear cause.
Possible causes of unprovoked seizures include:
- Genetic or inherited conditions
- Structural changes or lesions in the brain
- Brain tumours
- Previous stroke or brain infection
- Brain injury, including injury that occurred during birth
- An imbalance in brain chemicals that help nerve cells communicate
- Exposure to toxins or poisoning
- Certain medicines or recreational drugs
- Degenerative brain disorders
- Maternal illness or complications during pregnancy
Seizures in Newborns and Young Babies
Seizures in newborns often have different causes compared to those in older babies or adults. They are usually linked to events around birth or early life:- Lack of oxygen during or immediately after birth
- Brain malformations present at birth
- Serious infections
- Metabolic problems such as low blood sugar or low calcium levels
What are the Types of Seizures in Babies?
Doctors classify seizures based on where the abnormal activity starts and how it spreads.- Focal Seizures
A child may experience unusual sensations or feelings, such as:
- Sense of falling or spinning
- Pins and needles
- Feeling that familiar surroundings suddenly seem strange
- Sudden wave of fear or anger
- Hear buzzing sounds
- Taste or smell things that are not actually present
- Seeing bright or vivid images
- Lip-smacking
- Grunting sounds
- Clumsy or repetitive movements
- Twitching in one arm or leg
- Staring spells
- Wandering without purpose
- Focal aware seizures: The child stays alert, remembers what happened, but may not be able to speak or interact.
- Focal impaired awareness seizures: The child loses awareness of surroundings and may not recall the event.
Generalised seizures involve both sides of the brain from the very beginning. The child usually loses consciousness during this seizure.
Types of generalised seizures include:
- Absence seizures, also known as petit mal seizures: Brief episodes where the child appears to stare blankly or “zone out.” These usually last less than 30 seconds and can happen many times a day. The child quickly returns to normal activity and often does not remember the episode. These seizures commonly begin between 4 and 12 years of age, and many babies eventually outgrow them.
- Atonic seizures: A sudden loss of muscle tone, causing the child’s head to drop or the body to collapse suddenly. These are often called drop attacks.
- Myoclonic seizures: Short, shock-like muscle jerks that may affect one or more limbs and often occur in clusters.
- Tonic seizures: Sudden stiffening of the muscles in the body, arms, or legs. If the child is standing, this can lead to a fall.
- Tonic-clonic seizures, previously called grand mal seizures: The child loses consciousness, the body first stiffens, and then rhythmic jerking of the arms and legs begins. Breathing may become irregular, the face may appear bluish, and tongue biting or loss of bladder control can occur. These seizures usually last a few minutes.
These are a rare but serious type of seizure that usually occurs during the first year of life. They involve brief, sudden jerking movements that often happen in clusters, especially when the baby is waking up or falling asleep.
Early on, these spasms may appear mild, but they can become more noticeable over time. Quick diagnosis and treatment are very important, as untreated infantile spasms can affect a child’s development.
4. Status Epilepticus
This refers to a seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes or repeated seizures where the child does not fully recover between episodes.
There is a significant risk of brain injury if a seizure continues for more than 30 minutes.
5. Febrile Seizures
Febrile seizures occur in young babies between 6 months and 5 years of age and are triggered by fever. They often involve convulsions and can be frightening to witness. But most babies outgrow them and do not develop long-term problems.
- Simple febrile seizures last less than 15 minutes and happen only once in a day.
- Complex febrile seizures last longer, occur more than once in 24 hours, or affect only one side of the body.
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FAQs on Understanding Seizures in Babies: Causes and Different Types
- How are seizures diagnosed in babies?
Doctors usually begin with a detailed medical history and a description of what the seizure looked like. Tests such as an EEG to record brain activity, blood tests, or brain imaging like MRI or CT scans may be recommended. - Can lack of sleep trigger seizures in babies?
Yes, poor or irregular sleep can make seizures more likely in some babies.
