Learn about Absence seizures in children symptoms from Consumer Reports Health.

Absence seizures in children

What are the symptoms of absence seizures?

It can be difficult to tell if your child has absence seizures because the symptoms aren't always clear.

If you think your child has absence seizures, there are some signs you should look for. Your child might:

Source:
Arzimanoglou A, Guerrini R, Aicardi J.
Epilepsies with typical absence seizures.
In: Aicardi's epilepsy in children (3rd edition). Philadelphia: Lippincott, 2003.

Source:
Michelucchi R, Tassinari CA.
Childhood absence epilepsy.
In: Wallace S (editor). Epilepsy in children. Arnold, London, UK; 2004.

Source:
Panayiotopoulos CP.
Typical absence seizures and their treatment in children.
Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1999; 81: 351-355.

Source:
U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Medline Plus: petit mal seizure.
June 2008. Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000696.htm (accessed on 15 January 2009).

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Appear to "blank out" or "shut off" for a few seconds
Stare into space
Stop talking in the middle of a sentence
Suddenly stop what they're doing: for example, if they're walking they might all of a sudden stand still
Flutter their eyelids, fidget with their hands or walk around aimlessly.

Children lose consciousness when they have an absence seizure, even if their eyes are open. They don't hear, see or remember anything that happens. And they usually won't know they've had a seizure.

Some people who have epilepsy get a warning sign before a seizure. For example, they might get a strange feeling or notice a strange smell. But if your child gets absence seizures, they have no warning.

Before making a diagnosis, your child's doctor will ask lots of questions about your child and the symptoms they've been getting. They will also do some tests.

Your doctor can probably tell whether your child has absence seizures by doing an electroencephalogram (EEG). This test measures the electrical activity in the nerve cells of your child's brain. During an EEG:

Source:
Arzimanoglou A, Guerrini R, Aicardi J.
Epilepsies with typical absence seizures.
In: Aicardi's epilepsy in children (3rd edition). Philadelphia: Lippincott, 2003.

⁵

Source:
Michelucchi R, Tassinari CA.
Childhood absence epilepsy.
In: Wallace S (editor). Epilepsy in children. Arnold, London, UK; 2004.

Source:
U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Medline Plus: petit mal seizure.
June 2008. Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000696.htm (accessed on 15 January 2009).

⁶

An EEG is a test that can show whether a child has absence seizures.

Sticky pads will be placed around their head
Wires from the pads will carry information about your child's brain activity to a computer
The doctor might ask your child to breathe very fast (hyperventilate) because this usually sets off an absence seizure, which can then be seen in the clinic.

If your child has an absence seizure

There are several things you can do if your child has an absence seizure.

Source:
Panayiotopoulos CP.
Typical absence seizures and their treatment in children.
Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1999; 81: 351-355.

Source:
Epilepsy Action.
First aid for seizures.
Available at http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/firstaid.html (accessed on 15 January 2009).

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Stay calm. Don't shake your child. Don't shout at them or try to get them to "snap out of it."

Stay with your child until they come out of the seizure.

Call an ambulance if you think:

The seizure lasts more than three minutes
Your child has two or more seizures in a row without coming round
It's the first time your child has had an absence seizure.

Take your child to the emergency room if they:

Have a different type of seizure for the first time (for example, your child falls to the ground or their limbs twitch and jerk)
Are hurt and need medical treatment.

Sources for the information on this page:

Arzimanoglou A, Guerrini R, Aicardi J.Epilepsies with typical absence seizures.In: Aicardi's epilepsy in children (3rd edition). Philadelphia: Lippincott, 2003.

Michelucchi R, Tassinari CA.Childhood absence epilepsy.In: Wallace S (editor). Epilepsy in children. Arnold, London, UK; 2004.

Panayiotopoulos CP.Typical absence seizures and their treatment in children.Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1999; 81: 351-355.

U.S. National Library of Medicine.Medline Plus: petit mal seizure.June 2008. Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000696.htm (accessed on 15 January 2009).

Arzimanoglou A, Guerrini R, Aicardi J.Epilepsies with typical absence seizures.In: Aicardi's epilepsy in children (3rd edition). Philadelphia: Lippincott, 2003.

U.S. National Library of Medicine.Medline Plus: petit mal seizure.June 2008. Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000696.htm (accessed on 15 January 2009).

Epilepsy Action.First aid for seizures.Available at http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/firstaid.html (accessed on 15 January 2009).

This information was last updated on Feb 05, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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