Patient's question:
Does a child born recently suffer from epilepsy? My niece had twitching a few days ago, with no blisters in her mouth and no other symptoms. She experienced severe pain during the episode, with her eyes fixed and no foam in her mouth for a few seconds. The local doctor prescribed traditional Chinese medicine to dispel wind and treat epilepsy, but the effect was not significant. There is no history of hereditary epilepsy in the family. How can epilepsy be verified? If not, what could be the illness?Doctor's answer:
From your description, it is likely that your niece may be suffering from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Epilepsy is one of the sequelae of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. To verify whether epilepsy or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is present, it is best to consult a pediatrician and conduct an electroencephalogram (EEG) and a thorough CT scan. If there are abnormal deliveries such as breathing difficulties, umbilical cord, murky amniotic fluid, or premature birth, a clear examination should be performed. The principle of treating the disease should be based on syndrome differentiation and treatment, with medication as the foundation.