EPILEPSY AND CHILDREN

Epilepsy is a tendency for the brain to experience recurrent seizures in which total or partial consciousness may be lost. The brain is a complex sensitive organ carefully protected inside the bony skull. It regulates and controls everything we do To accomplish its many functions the brain's nerve cells (neurones) must work in smooth harmony. An epileptic seizure is caused by a brief disruption of brain function involving abnormal electrical activity in the nerve cells.

Epilepsy can begin at any age, but the incidence is high in children. It is estimated that around 61,000 children in the UK have epilepsy. Some children have epilepsy as a result of damage to the brain, through for example, injury, birth trauma or stroke (symptomatic epilepsy). Others have no known or identifiable cause but have epilepsy as a result of being born with a low epileptic seizure threshold (idiopathic epilepsy). Everyone has a seizure threshold; having a low seizure threshold means that a person has a lower resistance to seizures than people in general.

Children with 'uncomplicated epilepsy', that is those without any additional physical or learning disability have exactly the same range of intelligence and abilities as unaffected children. For this reason the majority of children with epilepsy are educated in mainstream schools and share the same wide range of interests and pastimes as children without the condition. Some children with 'epilepsy plus', that is epilepsy and other physical or learning difficulties will need additional help at school and in their social lives. These children's needs will have to be assessed on an individual basis. Further information about epilepsy is available from the Freephone Helpline (0808 800 5050) during office hours Monday to Thursday 9 am to 4.30 pm and Friday 9 am to 4 pm. A mailbox facility is available at all other times. Additionally a comprehensive website is available at www.epilepsy.org.uk.