Epilepsy Affects 2,700,000 people in the U.S. and 50,000,000 worldwide.
In the U.S., it currently affects more than 326,000 children under age fifteen.
This year, another 200,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with epilepsy.
And an estimated 25,000 to 50,000 will die of seizures and related causes.
Don’t let your child be one of them.
Talk to your doctor about your child’s types of seizures and risk for seizure emergencies.
Keep track of treatments used to manage your child’s seizures.
Develop an individualized plan for seizure first aid.
Teach other people how to respond to your seizures appropriately.
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy
In the US, SUDEP accounts for 8-17% of deaths in epileptics.
Most SUDEP deaths occur in bed.
20% of seizures occur during sleep.
For children who have nocturnal seizures:
Consider using safety pillows that can reduce the risk of suffocation.
Avoid top bunks.
Using a monitor or epileptic seizure alarm in the child’s bedroom may alert you nocturnal seizures.
Drowning is the most common cause of fatal accidents for people with epilepsy.
The most common place where children and adults with epilepsy drown is in a bathtub.
Regardless of age, someone with epilepsy should never take a bath alone.
When children are old enough to bathe alone, they should take showers, not baths.
Keep the bathroom door unlocked or open.
Stay in the bathroom at all times with young children who are in the bathtub.
Never allow children of any age to bathe or shower if they are home alone.
Hot Water Epilepsy is a rare form of reflex epilepsy.
Bathing in, or pouring hot water over the head can trigger seizures in .6% of people with epilepsy.
Bathroom Safety Tips
Use non-skid strips in the tub or shower.
Use tub rails or grab bars.
Use protective covers on faucet handles, nozzles, and the edges of countertops.
Turn down the hot water thermostat to avoid scalding if a seizure occurs during a shower.
When swimming.
Swim with your child, or require that your child be with someone who swims well enough to help in the case of a seizure.
Avoid swimming in open water (lakes, rivers) unless your child is well supervised and wearing a life vest.
Have your child wear a brightly colored swimsuit or life vest.
The best advice:
Educate yourself about epilepsy.
Educate your child about epilepsy.
watch the video at www.ozville.org
