Symptoms of Absence Seizures in Children

A Female Neurologist with Seizure child

If you have noticed that your child often daydreams or your child’s teacher has commented that your child often stares blankly and is not aware or responsive in class, chances are, your child is suffering from absence seizures.

Absence seizures, also known as petit mal seizures, are brief seizures that cause a sudden lapse in awareness, lasting anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds. Absence seizures can affect anyone but are more commonly seen in children between 2 to 12 years old.

So, if you think your child has absence seizures and want to be proactive about your child’s health, read on to know the telltale signs of absence seizures so that you can keep your child safe and get him/her treated right away.

Vacant Stares

As a parent, one of the easiest ways to spot your child’s absence seizures is to look for a blank or vacant stare that lasts for a few seconds. Your child may look like they are staring into space without any headache, confusion, or drowsiness afterward. During the vacant stare, your child temporarily loses awareness of what’s happening around them.

Sudden Stop in Motion

During an absence seizure, your child suddenly stops all their activities, even if they are in the middle of an activity. They do not respond to you or any surrounding noise. This sign is especially notable when they are doing some activity or breathing heavily in school. The child returns to their activity when the seizure ends, and there will be no memory of this sudden stop in motion afterward.

Other Possible Symptoms of Absence Seizure:

Symptoms of absence seizures are so brief that they go away before an adult notices them. However, since seizures impair child activities and learning, the very first thing you or your child’s teacher may notice of this disorder is a decline in the child’s learning ability.

In addition to the most noticeable symptoms of absence seizure in children that are mentioned in the above section, your child may also have symptoms like:

  • Eyes turning upward or fluttering of eyelids
  • Lip-smacking
  • Making chewing motions with their mouth
  • Finger rubbing
  • Brief, small movement of both hands

When Should You See a Doctor for Your Child’s Absence Seizures?

Even though there is a high chance that your child will grow out of these seizures by adolescence, you must contact your doctor if you notice:

  • Seizure for the first time
  • A new type of seizure
  • Seizures that continue to occur despite regularly taking anti-epileptics

Some seizure situations are emergency, and you must call 911:

  • After an absence seizure that lasted more than five minutes
  • If your child is having prolonged automatic behavior, such as eating or moving without awareness for minutes to hours, prolonged confusion, and more.

Seizure Symptoms Treatment in Farmington Hills, MI

If you’ve noticed any of the above-mentioned signs in your child, don’t wait any longer and contact the neurologists at Associates in Neurology. Our board-certified neurologists are specialized in treating comprehensive neurological disorders in people of all ages. They also diagnose and treat absence seizures in children to help them live a seizure-free childhood.

To schedule an appointment with one of our best neurologists, contact our main neurology clinic at (248) 478-5512 or use our convenient online appointment request form. We look forward to serving you!