Epilepsy in children is not a one size fits all. Picture iStock In the Middle Ages, epilepsy was blamed on demonic possession. Centuries later, the superstition may be gone, but the stigma has proved far harder to shake.
And it is children who often carry the heaviest weight of misunderstanding. Epilepsy, according to Dr Jonathan Redelinghuys, is not a one-size-fits-all condition. “Seizures can look vastly different from child to child,” he said.
“Some seizures are very subtle. A child might just stare blankly, lose awareness for a few seconds or experience slight muscle twitches. It’s not always the dramatic convulsions people expect.” Absence seizures are often dismissed as a child zoning out, when in fact they are brief lapses in consciousness.
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Rolandic epilepsy, which usually occurs during sleep, can cause facial twitching and slurred speech. Many children outgrow it, but it still requires medical attention. Recognising these signs earlycan make a significant difference to diagnosis and long-term management.
“Parents often overlook early signs, mistaking them for daydreaming or clumsiness,” he said. “But if something feels off, it’s worth getting checked.” Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy is another form of the condition, causing sudden jerky movements, particularly in the arms. “Parents might think their child is just clumsy in the morning,” he said.
“But these brief, involuntary muscle jerks are often the first sign of epilepsy.” Infantile spasms, also known as West syndrome, are considered medical emergencies. These spasms can be subtle, such as brief head nods or sudden arm movements, but they require immediate medical intervention because they can affect brain development. Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is another complex form of epilepsy that often begins between the ages of two and six. It is characterised by multiple seizure types, including drop attacks, where a child suddenly and involuntarily collapses, and tonic seizures, where the body stiffens.
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