Question
My child is 3 and a half years old and has been experiencing frequent twitching in his hands lately. I’m wondering if this could be a sign of pediatric epilepsy? What are the symptoms of pediatric epilepsy?
Answer
The early symptoms of pediatric epilepsy are characterized by sudden brief loss of consciousness without post-ictal drowsiness, cessation of speech and activity, remaining in a fixed position without falling, staring blankly with eyes open. Sometimes there may be pallor of the face without muscle twitching. The duration of the seizure is 2-10 seconds, not exceeding 30 seconds, and consciousness returns quickly, continuing normal activities. In major seizures, the symptoms include sudden loss of consciousness, pauses in breathing, frothing at the mouth, bluish skin color, dilated pupils, starting with stiffening of the limbs and clenching of the fists, followed by upward rolling of the eyes or deviation to one side, then convulsive movements of facial and limb muscles, rapid and irregular breathing, often with tongue biting, and may include incontinence. The duration of the seizure is 1-5 minutes, with confusion or drowsiness after the seizure that lasts for several hours before waking up. In some cases, the early symptoms of pediatric epilepsy may also present as myoclonic jerks, which are sudden twitching of a localized muscle or limb without loss of consciousness. These myoclonic jerks can evolve into generalized major seizures.