Epilepsy - Outlook and Effects

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Effects of Epilepsy in Children

Chance for Recurrence After a First Seizure. According to a 2000 study, about 64% children with one seizure unrelated to fevers have another one, and nearly two-thirds who have a history of more than one seizure are likely to have more seizures. Researchers are trying to find ways of predicting which children have the best chances to become seizure free, and which ones will not. Studies suggest that the frequency of early seizures, not their total number or type, determines whether a child will develop intractable epilepsy.

Long-Term General Effects. In general, the long-term effects of seizures vary widely depending on the seizure's cause. Children with febrile seizures rarely have any long-term effects. In very rare cases, children experience severe fever-related seizures known as complex febrile convulsions. In such cases, there is a risk for brain injury that may lead to temporal lobe epilepsy, but this is very small. Such seizures last over 15 minutes, occur more than once within 24 hours, and may affect only one side of the body.

The long-term outlook for children with idiopathic epilepsy (epilepsy of unknown causes) is very favorable. One study reported that 68 - 92% of these patients were seizure-free after 20 years. Another study reported that they had a survival rate no different from children without these seizures.

Children whose epilepsy is a result of a specific condition (for example, a head injury or neurologic disorder) have higher mortality rates than the normal population, but their lower survival rates are most often due to the underlying condition, not the epilepsy itself.

Side Effects of Medications and Withdrawal from Them. The drugs used for epilepsy can have distressing short- and long-term effects. Eventually, many children with epilepsy can go off medication. Children who tend to relapse after withdrawal from treatment usually have the following conditions or situations:

• A family history of epilepsy
• Require multiple medications to control seizures
• Abnormal EEG readings after treatment has started
• Partial seizures