Question
How can one treat infantile spasm disorder to control the seizures? Despite using Western medicine, the seizures are still not effectively controlled, occurring every day. During seizures, the child points downward, with slight twitching in the left hand and left foot, but the right hand and right foot do not twitch. These seizures usually occur when the child wants to sleep. Observation shows that the child can track objects around 180 degrees, has a slight grasp awareness in the left hand but it is not stable. With training, there is some improvement in the ability to stand on the toes of the left foot, and with assistance from adults, can stand for a few minutes and walk with support. The child laughs out loud when entertained.
Answer
Infantile spasm disorder is a particularly challenging form of pediatric epilepsy, frequent seizures may lead to brain damage. If medication can be effectively controlled, the impact on intelligence is relatively small. The longer the course of the disease, the greater the impact on intelligence. Although the prognosis for infantile spasm disorder is poor and it has a severe impact on intelligence, hormone treatment can control symptoms and help with the recovery of intelligence. The damage to children from infantile spasm disorder is significant; if treatment is not timely or inappropriate methods are used, the condition can progress rapidly, potentially causing severe harm to children. Therefore, parents should closely monitor their child’s condition and seek treatment promptly.