Patient's question:
Main symptoms: During recurrence, the child loses consciousness, experiences, eyes roll up, jaw clenched, head retracted. Onset time: July 24. Laboratory test results: Blood is normal.Doctor's answer:
Seizures are common emergencies in children, especially in infants and toddlers. They are caused by various factors or underlying conditions that disrupt brain nerve function, manifesting as sudden tonic-clonic convulsions of the entire body or localized muscle groups, often accompanied by loss of consciousness. The incidence of seizures in children is high, with approximately 5-6% of children experiencing one or more episodes. Frequent recurrence or prolonged seizures can be life-threatening or result in severe sequelae, impacting a child's intellectual development and health.Common diseases that can cause seizures include: high fever seizures, intracranial infections, toxic encephalopathy, infantile spasms, hypoglycemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypocalcemic tetany.
Guidance for Parents:
When a child has a seizure, parents often become very anxious and rush them to the hospital emergency room. However, most seizures subside within one to two minutes. By the time the child reaches the hospital, the seizure may already have stopped, and consciousness may have returned. Therefore, if a seizure recurs, immediate measures should be taken to prevent prolonged convulsions, which could lead to hypoxic brain injury in the child, especially in newborns, who are more susceptible to severe brain damage. If the child experiences recurrent or continuous seizures, they should be taken to the hospital immediately.
Before seeking medical attention, parents should follow these steps:
1. Stay calm and avoid unnecessary stimulation. Lay the child down, undo buttons and belts to help them relax. Position the child’s head flat with the face turned to one side to prevent choking on vomit or secretions. If the seizure occurs in a difficult location, first move the child to a safer place before proceeding.
2. Gently massage the child’s hands and feet alternately while observing whether their eyes are fixed or their limbs are stiff.
3. Prevent physical injuries, especially biting the tongue. Use a cloth-wrapped pencil or toothbrush to place between the child’s teeth if possible. If the jaw is clenched tightly, avoid forcing anything into it.
4. Prevent choking. Clear the child’s mouth and airway of secretions promptly to maintain respiratory.
5. Apply firm pressure to the child’s GV26 (Renzhong) point (slightly above the center of the philtrum) to potentially stop the seizure quickly, but avoid excessive force to prevent further injury.
6. Do not self-medicate with fever-reducing drugs if the cause is unknown, as this may mask the condition and hinder accurate diagnosis. If the temperature is kept below 39°C, most cases can be managed at home.
Daily Care:
Parents should be vigilant—immediately administer fever-reducing medication if the child’s temperature reaches 38.5°C, and place them in a side-lying position if seizure signs appear to prevent airway obstruction from the tongue falling back or secretions. A cloth or handkerchief can be placed between the teeth to prevent tongue-biting. Apply a cold cloth to the head, stimulate the Hegu (LI4) point, or pinch the GV26 point to stop the seizure, then seek emergency medical care immediately. Immediate hospitalization is required in such cases.