My child has infantile spasms. He was diagnosed at the age of five months

Patient's question:

Patient Age: 1 year
Description: My child suffers from infantile spasms. He was discovered to have the condition when he fell off the sofa at five months old. During episodes, he cries very intensely, and it takes two to three hours to calm down. Fortunately, he arches his back and curls his head. When checked at the hospital, his EEG showed significant disturbances. At seven months old, he was hospitalized at Nanjing Children's Hospital for treatment, lasting about half a month. He was treated with ACTH and oral topiramate. Upon discharge, his condition was very good—he no longer had seizures or cried. After discharge, he was only given oral topiramate and no other medications. Now the child is one year old, and I recently noticed that his eyes are turning inward, rolling up white, several times in a row. Sometimes his cheeks turn bright red. This is again...

Doctor's answer:

(1) Bowing spasm: It is characterized by sudden, brief episodes of generalized muscle spasms, causing bending of the neck, trunk, and legs, adduction or abduction, with arms rapidly extending forward and outward in an embrace-like posture.
(2) Nodding spasm: Characterized by recurrent nodding movements.
(3) Lightning spasm: The duration is extremely short, making it difficult to notice unless attention is paid. Infantile spasms have five distinctive features:
(1) Short duration of individual episodes, lasting 2 to 10 seconds each.
(2) Forward flexion of the entire body, especially the head and upper body.
(3) Frequent recurrence, occurring multiple times a day, with each episode potentially consisting of multiple or even dozens of spasms.
(4) Typically occurring upon falling asleep or waking up while consciousness is still hazy, often accompanied by loss of consciousness, sweating, cyanosis of the face, and fatigue and.
(5) The electroencephalogram (EEG) during episodes varies, while the interictal period often shows characteristic hypsarrhythmia.
This condition usually ceases within 18 months of age. After cessation of recurrence, some may evolve into other types of spasms. Over 90% of affected children experience delayed intellectual and motor development. Treatment with hormones is often most effective.