FAQ

Does coming for an evaluation mean that surgery is the only option?

No. Our goal is to help you know what your BEST option is.

What treatment options do you offer?

We offer medication (including active drug trials), surgery (resection, vagal nerve stimulator, gamma knife, neuropace) or ketogenic diet.

How does the MCG Pediatric Epilpsy Center define and diagnose epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which clusters of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain sometimes signal abnormally. Modern scientific advances allow us to monitor those signals. Signals emitted by the epileptic brain reveal very characteristic patterns which are easy to identify.

If one of my children has epilepsy, will my other children will have it too?

No one can catch epilepsy from another child. It is not a disease like a cold, which is spread by germs. It is something that happens inside your brain and you can’t pass it to anybody else. If more than one person in your family has epilepsy, it’s not because they caught it from you.

Can epilepsy be prevented?

Many cases of epilepsy can be prevented by wearing seatbelts and bicycle helmets, putting children in car seats, and other measures that prevent head injury and other trauma. Prescribing medication, after first or second seizure or febrile seizures also may help prevent epilepsy in some cases. Good prenatal care, including treatment of high blood pressure and infections during pregnancy, can prevent brain damage in the developing baby that may lead to epilepsy and other neurological problems later. Treating cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, infections, and other disorders that can affect the brain during adulthood and aging also may prevent many cases of epilepsy. Finally identifying the genes for many neurological disorders can provide opportunities for genetic screening and prenatal diagnosis that may ultimately prevent many cases of epilepsy.

Should I limit my child's activities because he/she has epilepsy?

All kids need to be watched in certain activities, but if they don’t have too many seizures it should be okay for them to participate in any activity.

What should you do if someone is having a seizure?

• Don't be afraid. Stay calm.
  
• Do not try to stop the person from shaking. If the person is walking, gently guide him/her away from dangerous places like stairs.
  
• Call 911 and tell them that you need an ambulance.
• To make sure the person doesn't get hurt, move and sharp things out of the way.
• Do not put anything in the person's mouth.
• If you can, check a clock to see what time the seizure started and what time the shaking stops or the person wakes up.
• If the person is lying down, turn him on his side.
• If the person wakes up, try to calm her by speaking in a quite voice.
• Stay with the person until the ambulance arrives.
  

Is epilepsy inherited?

Children may inherit epilepsy from their parents. Children whose parents have seizures are greater risk to develop epilepsy by age 25 than the general population. Many children with epilepsy have no family history of seizures, and many parents with epilepsy have children who never have seizures.

Should a child be placed on medication if he/she had only one seizure?

Usually not unless indicated by EEG. Some conditions, such as an absence seizures, require medical treatment because the first witnessed seizure may not have been the initial seizure.

Does epilepsy cause learning disabilities?

Children with epilepsy have a higher rate of learning disorders than the general public, but most children with epilepsy do not have learning problems. Some problems can result from seizures themselves such as memory problems keeping information from being stored in the brain or the child may have poor school attendance due to seizures.

Does epilepsy cause behavior problems in children?

Behavioral problems are not directly caused by epilepsy, but can be caused by medication or the psychosocial effects of having a chronic disorder. Some children have other neurological disorders accompanying epilepsy that may cause other disorders.

What is the difference between a febrile seizure and any other type of seizure?

A febrile seizures is one that will sometimes occur when a child has a seizure during the course of an illness with a high fever. Other seizure types do not have to be accompanied by a fever.

Can video games cause seizures?

Children with epilepsy have a higher rate of learning disorders than the general public, but most children with epilepsy do not have learning problems. Some problems can result from seizures themselves such as memory problems keeping information from being stored in the brain or the child may have poor school attendance due to seizures.