Question
A seven-month-old baby has been diagnosed with infantile spasms, characterized by head nodding and an anterior tilt of the upper body. Recently, in mid-July, the baby experienced a recurrence of these symptoms, including head nodding, an anterior tilt of the upper body, horizontal extension of both upper limbs, and inward retraction of both lower limbs.
Answer
Infantile spasms are a rare form of epilepsy that usually develops between a few days after birth and 30 months of age, with the peak incidence occurring before the age of six months. Since infants spend most of their time in beds or cribs and young mothers may lack experience in caring for their children, it is easy to overlook or misinterpret recurrence of symptoms. They might assume these symptoms are due to hunger, a wet diaper, or discomfort in the neck and body.