Question
A four-month-old male baby, who had brain hypoxia and subarachnoid hemorrhage at birth, has recently been found to have poor head stability and muscle tone issues, and occasionally experiences body and head tremors. A two-hour EEG examination was done a month ago, with normal results. Four courses of neuro-nutritional medications have been used so far, but the tremor problem still persists. What should I do in this situation? When the baby tremors, his eyes look normal; could this be a symptom of epilepsy?
Answer
Epileptic seizures can be divided into four stages: the prodromal phase, where the child may feel chest tightness, palpitations, visual disturbances, or other unusual sensations. Next is the tonic phase, during which the child’s eyes may roll up and fixate, the body may become rigid, and teeth may clench. Then comes the clonic phase, characterized by rhythmic tremors in the limbs, accompanied by incontinence of urine and feces, loss of consciousness, and frothing at the mouth, usually lasting half a minute to a minute. Finally, is the recovery phase, where the child’s muscle tone gradually relaxes, and consciousness and pupils slowly return to normal. After going through this process, the child usually falls into a deep sleep.