Despite treatment with anti-epileptic medications, some children continue to have seizures. Two important things you can do are:
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Inform and educate those around your child so they know what to do in case she has a seizure.
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Make the environment safe so it is less likely that she will accidentally hurt herself while having a seizure.
It is important that you, your family members, teachers, babysitters, and anyone else who looks after your child know what to do when your child has a seizure. In general, the most important things to do for any type of seizure are:
- Remain calm. Reassure your child and others around.
- Leave your child where she is, unless she is in danger of falling or hurting herself.
- Move any objects out of the way, so she cannot bang against them or hurt herself accidentally. If she is wearing glasses, remove them.
- Stay with your child and be aware of how long the seizure lasts.
- If the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, call an ambulance.
For tonic-clonic seizures:
- Do not put any object into your child’s mouth. Contrary to popular thinking, she cannot swallow her tongue. In fact, if you put anything into her mouth, there is a danger she may break her teeth on it or swallow some part of it.
- If your child has food in her mouth, roll her head and if possible her upper body to the side. Do not attempt to take the food out as this may actually push it further in.
- Loosen any tight clothing, particularly around the neck.
- During the seizure, turn her head to the side. Once the seizure is finished, then you can place her on her side so she does not inhale saliva or vomit.
- Once the seizure is over and the child has regained consciousness, be sensitive and supportive. Comfort her, reassure her, and explain to her briefly what has happened and where she is. Help her get cleaned up if she has vomited or soiled herself. Do not give her anything (food, drink, medicine) by mouth until she is fully alert.
The pages in this section give more details on what to do for specific types of seizures, when to call a doctor, and how to ensure a safe environment for your child both inside and outside the home. Specific equipment, such as seizure monitors and medical alert bracelets, is also discussed. Click the links at the left to learn more.