How to Cope With a Child With Status Seizures
A status seizure---also known as status epilepticus---is a continuous seizure that lasts for more than 30 minutes. Seizures that persist for longer than five minutes can cause lasting neurological damage and are treated as medical emergencies. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, 42,000 deaths each year are associated with status seizures. The best way to cope with a child who has these extremely dangerous seizures is to avoid known stimuli or "triggers" and to seek immediate emergency help when a seizure occurs.
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Instructions
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Have your child professionally diagnosed. Status seizures are often a sign of another health condition, such as brain trauma, brain tumors or poisoning. Your child's neurologist will begin treatment of the underlying condition, which may reduce or eliminate the seizures.
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Identify any stimuli that trigger your child's seizure disorder, in consultation with his doctor. Stimuli can vary widely. For some children, it is flashing lights; for others, it may be fevers or certain smells. Avoid these stimuli to prevent future status seizures.
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Reduce your child's exposure to activities where having a status seizure would be particularly dangerous, including swimming or tree climbing. These activities do not necessarily have to be eliminated, but only allow them under proper supervision by adults who are knowledgeable about the child's condition.
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Call 911 after the first five minutes of a status seizure. While you wait for emergency personnel, prevent your child from injuring himself by helping him into a lying-down position. Remove any objects that may injure him, including glasses or toys. Avoid putting anything in your child's mouth during a seizure.
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Stay with your child after his seizure until he is fully conscious again. To prevent choking, do not administer anything by mouth to a child who has just had a status seizure. All medication must be administered rectally. His doctor will discuss when it is appropriate to administer drugs like acetaminophen for fever or anti-anxiety medications.
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Tips & Warnings
Although doctors do not often put children on seizure medication, status epilepticus is the exception. If your child is prescribed seizure medication, make sure she takes it as prescribed and does not miss any doses. Failure to take seizure medication is often a trigger for a status seizure, even in patients who do not have continuous seizures.
Bathrooms are particularly dangerous for children who suffer from status seizures. The tiled and porcelain surfaces can be dangerous if your child has a seizure and hits her head on them. Baths can present drowning dangers during a seizure. Do not leave a small child who has status seizures in the bathtub unsupervised, and consider installing a safety strap for older children.
