Question
What are the early symptoms of infantile spasms? Will there be convulsions?
Answer
When a child is a few months old and exhibits a head-bobbing and bending posture, this might indicate infantile spasms. In addition to generalized convulsions, infantile spasms can also cause intellectual disabilities in children. Immediate treatment should be initiated upon diagnosis. The sooner treatment begins, the less severe the brain damage may be for the child. The main medications currently used for treating infantile spasms are nitrazepam and hormones, and their combined use results in better efficacy. During the medication treatment process, it is important to maintain regular medication administration to keep the necessary effective blood concentration. To prevent recurrence of infantile spasms and their transformation into grand mal or psychomotor seizures, medication dosage should not be reduced even after the seizures have completely stopped. Medication should be continued for two to four years and then gradually reduced under a doctor’s guidance until it is carefully tapered off.