Epilepsy In Infants

Syndrome brain nerve abnormalities in the form of epilepsy or epileptic seizure characterized by sudden and repetitive. This disorder occurs in infants due to a disturbance in the nerves of the brain that regulate the system vision, hearing, muscle movement, though, and so on. In the normal brain, all the performance and activity of the brain nerves run in harmony in accordance with their respective functions.

But for some reason, the condition was not normal in infants with epilepsy and there is chaos in the brain sensors, so there is a seizure. On the other hand, causes of brain disorders were different each individual but in infants can be caused by congenital defects in brain structure since they were in the womb, or may suffer a head injury or infection that causes epilepsy.

To detect the possibility of this disorder in infants, there are some physical conditions that show characteristics of epilepsy, namely:

• Muscle spasms. The University of Iowa Children's Hospital that the seizures are common symptoms in all infants with epilepsy. Muscle cramps occur within a few seconds or minutes and will subside
• Loss of consciousness. When an attack occurs, often the baby lost consciousness for a moment, so the baby is not sensitive to odor stimuli, sound, and touch.
• Babies are often pounded or squeezed her lips.
• The existence of abnormalities in the baby's brain waves, to know doctors, perform tests using the electroencephalogram (EEG). This test allows the doctor to record brain waves or the flow of electricity in the baby's brain.
• Abnormalities in brain structure. Used to detect CT (computed tomography), PET (positron emission tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The method was able to record brain activity and detect the presence of tumors, cysts, or other structural abnormalities in the brain.

There are several good ways to treat epilepsy in infants, children, and adults. The method can be used that is drug therapy, nerve stimulation, diet food, and operations. Drugs commonly used in treating epilepsy is antiepileptic or anticonvulsant. There are many types of antiepileptic drugs on the market that are used by other types of epilepsy, including tiagabine, lamotrigine, gabapentin, topiramate, levetiracetam, and felbamate. The way these drugs work is simple it is to stimulate the brain to inhibit neuronal electrical activity, and immediately prevent the occurrence of seizures. Nerve stimulation is done by channeling the flow of electrical short to the brain via the vagus nerve in around the neck for 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

This method is only used if the baby suffered an attack of epilepsy are not controlled and difficult to treat with drugs. Diet foods for children with epilepsy are called ketogenic blood money, ie foods high in fat and low carbohydrate. While surgery is performed when epilepsy cannot be treated with medication. The operation aims to determine the source of the nerve causes spasms, lifting cause seizures or improve the condition of the affected nerve