Special form of epilepsy When children fall for no reason

Sudden falls in children possible indication of the Doose syndrome
Health experts have drawn attention to a rare form of epilepsy with new patient information. About one in 10,000 infants suffer from the so-called "Doose syndrome". Sudden falls of the little ones can be a possible indication of the rare disease.

Rare form of epilepsy
If children suddenly fall or collapse, this may be an indication of a rare form of epilepsy in childhood: the so-called "Doose syndrome". This has the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) and the German Medical Association (BÄK) pointed out in a patient information. As the experts explained, sometimes only the head falls forward or the eyelids twitch briefly. The children often get up immediately after a fall, because the attack is already over. In rare cases, they remain unconscious. The child can not perform any protective movements when falling down and therefore seriously injured - especially on the head. This can lead to lacerations, concussion and tooth fractures.

It can also be a sign of muscle cramping or loss of consciousness.

If a child falls conspicuously, this may indicate a special form of epilepsy and should therefore be under investigation. (Image: klickerminth / fotolia.com)

Disease often disappears on its own
As stated in the patient information, seizures repeatedly occur in epilepsy. The functions in the brain are temporarily disturbed during a seizure. Like a hurricane, everything suddenly gets mixed up in your head. Epilepsy causes a kind of thunderstorm in the brain. As fast as a seizure comes, he usually stops again. Usually, the "Doose syndrome" begins between the ages of one and five years and affects about one in 10,000 children. The exact cause of the disease is unknown. It is said that the disease "grows" in many children after several years. In others, however, seizures continue to occur despite treatment and the child's mental development is impaired.

Special diet can help
The seizures are either treated with medications that are designed to suppress the seizures, or with certain hormones. According to the doctors, the treatment with the drugs can take years and has no effect on some people. Sometimes a special diet that is based on a very high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet can help. The experts advise parents to watch children's seizures well, for example, in terms of duration and course. If possible, they should record them on video to help the attending physicians.

The movements during a seizure should not be stopped by the parents. If the spasm does not stop spontaneously, parents should give their child the emergency drug prescribed by the doctor no later than five minutes. In some cases, families may receive psychosocial support. The exchange with other parents in self-help groups is useful for many affected. (Ad)