Question
Children are prone to catching a cold and having a fever, which often requires intravenous fluid therapy. Could intravenous therapy trigger epilepsy in infants?
Answer
It is recommended to visit the neurology department of the hospital for an EEG and CT scan to determine the exact cause of the problem, whether it is primary or secondary, and the type of epilepsy for targeted treatment. The treatment of epilepsy is divided into etiological treatment and medication treatment. When there is a clear cause that can be resolved, targeted etiological treatment is chosen. If there is no clear cause or the cause cannot be resolved, medication treatment is the only option. Based on the frequency of your epilepsy seizures, you may need to take anti-epileptic medication for long-term treatment. Anti-epileptic medications include traditional anti-epileptic drugs (such as carbamazepine, valproic acid, etc.) and new anti-epileptic drugs (such as levetiracetam, topiramate, etc.). There is no significant difference in efficacy between them. New anti-epileptic drugs have relatively fewer side effects and higher safety, but they are also more expensive. It is crucial not to stop anti-epileptic medication abruptly and to gradually reduce the dose when switching between different medications. It is advisable to stick with one medication and not change it arbitrarily, as this may lead to an increase in the frequency of epilepsy seizures.