Question
A 6-month-old baby cannot lift her head, can roll over, and has normal appetite. There are no major abnormalities, but she sometimes shakes. I would like to know what important considerations are there for pediatric epilepsy medication treatment?
Answer
- Selecting the appropriate medication: There are various types of pediatric epilepsy seizures, and different medications should be chosen based on the type to achieve the best effect.
- Gradually adjusting medication dosages: Antiepileptic drugs should start with a low dose and gradually increase until seizures are controlled. For difficult-to-control seizures, two or more medications can be used. When switching to a new drug, the dosage of the old drug should be gradually reduced until it is discontinued.
- Regularly monitoring blood drug levels: Due to the great differences in children’s responses to antiepileptic drugs, regular blood drug level monitoring is necessary to ensure that the drug reaches an effective therapeutic concentration in the body.
- Taking medication as prescribed: Irregular medication can lead to insufficient drug concentration in the blood, which cannot effectively control seizures.
- Long-term medication: It is generally recommended to continue taking medication for 2 to 4 years after epilepsy seizures stop, then gradually reduce the dosage until discontinuation. If the baby is in puberty when discontinuing medication, it is recommended to continue taking medication until the end of puberty before considering discontinuation.
- Paying attention to adverse drug reactions: Taking medication at normal doses is usually safe, with adverse reactions typically mild and reversible.