Patient's question:
What are the early symptoms of infantile spasms? Do they manifest as convulsions?Doctor's answer:
When a child is a few months old and exhibits head nodding and bending-like spasms, this condition may be infantile spasms. Besides generalized spasms, infantile spasms are more serious because they can also cause intellectual disabilities in children. Once diagnosed, immediate treatment should be initiated. The earlier treatment begins, the less severe the brain damage in the affected child may be. Currently, the main medications used to treat infantile spasms are nitrazepam and hormones. If both are used in combination, the therapeutic effect is even better. During the medication process, it is essential to administer the medication to the child regularly to maintain the necessary effective blood concentration. To prevent the recurrence of infantile spasms and their transformation into tonic-clonic seizures or psychomotor seizures, the medication dosage should not be reduced even after the spasms have completely stopped. Instead, the child should continue taking medication for two to four years, gradually tapering off under the guidance of a doctor until