Patient's question:
My child is 7 months old. When he was 4 months old, he suddenly had a seizure and was taken to the hospital for an EEG, but no abnormalities were found. It later improved and he stopped having seizures. At 6 months, we noticed something strange once. His face was smiling, but he was half-conscious. Could the doctor have encountered a similar case? Our family does not have a history of epilepsy. Please help us, thank you very much!~Doctor's answer:
Originally, hypocalcemia can lead to tetany due to the increased excitability of neuromuscular tissue caused by a decrease in free calcium in the serum. Hypocalcemic seizures are commonly observed in infancy and are closely related to vitamin D deficiency, hence they are clinically referred to as vitamin D deficiency tetany. It is well known that during infancy, this specific age group often faces a shortage of vitamin D due to factors such as reduced dietary intake, insufficient endogenous synthesis, and increased demand caused by rapid growth. When the body lacks vitamin D, it directly impairs the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, leading to decreased blood calcium and phosphorus levels. On the other hand, under normal conditions, the body compensates by increasing the secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH), which can partially alleviate the blood calcium level. However, if it is in the early stages of rickets, some children may not have enough time for their parathyroid glands to respond, or due to individual differences, the compensatory capacity of the parathyroid glands may vary, thus creating the pathological basis for the occurrence of hypocalcemic seizures.