Question
What are the symptoms of seizures in a 2-month-old baby? What are the causes of seizures? What precautions should be taken? The baby suddenly cries out loudly at night, but appears normal during the day.
Answer
Seizures, also known as convulsions or fits, are common emergencies in infancy, particularly in children under the age of 3. During a seizure, a child may suddenly lose consciousness, accompanied by upward rolling of the eyes, staring or squinting; the facial and limb muscles may have stiff or spasmodic movements, or they may twitch continuously. The duration of a seizure can range from a few seconds to several minutes, and it may occur repeatedly, even becoming a persistent state. If it lasts too long or recurs frequently, it may cause brain damage in the child. Therefore, we cannot ignore the symptoms of infant seizures. Now, what are the causes of infant seizures? They can usually be divided into infectious and non-infectious categories. Infectious causes include central nervous system infections and infections outside the central nervous system. Central nervous system infections include various encephalitis and meningitis; infections outside the central nervous system include sepsis, toxic dysentery, pneumonia, etc. Another type is seizures caused by high fever, known as febrile seizures. For example, children under the age of 3 who have respiratory tract infections and other diseases may also experience seizures during the early stages of fever.