What is a seizure?
Normally, the nerve cells in the brain send messages to each other using electrical signals. If these signals are disrupted or they become too strong, a seizure happens.
Your child may have had seizures, which could have led to their diagnosis. They may also have seizures for the first time after surgery. Seeing this can be a frightening experience for you and your family.
Signs and symptoms of seizures
There are different types of seizures, and the signs and symptoms may be different for each seizure type. Some more common signs you might see are:
- Uncontrollable muscle movement. This could include blinking, face twitching, shaking of a hand or foot, and jerking movements.
- A blank look and loss of connection with reality.
- Mood changes, such as crying or laughing.
- Change of consciousness; this may be as subtle as sensing a bad smell or a bad taste for a few seconds.
Seizures do not usually last for more than a few minutes, but their effects can last for several hours. After a seizure, your child may feel confused or sleepy, and have headaches or sore muscles.
Treating seizures
Most seizures associated with brain tumours can be controlled by anti-seizure medications. These are called anticonvulsants or antiepileptic drugs. Your child’s treatment team will prescribe the right type of medication based on the type of seizure your child has.
Your treatment team will tell you about the common side effects of the medications your child is taking.
Your child should also wear a medical alert bracelet to let others know they are at risk for seizures.
Seizure precautions
There are certain activities that may put your child at risk if they have a seizure while performing this activity. You should take the following precautions to keep your child safe:
- Your child should take showers, not baths, if possible. If your child cannot take showers, they should always be supervised.
- Use caution with hot items such as stoves, fireplaces or campfires which could burn your child if they have a seizure.
- Avoid operating motorized vehicles. Speak with your child’s doctor if your child is of driving age to review Ministry of Transportation guidelines.
- Your child should wear a helmet while biking, skiing, horseback riding, hiking, or participating in other activities where they could fall and hit their head.
- Consider avoiding activities that could be dangerous to your child or another person if they were to have a seizure.
Important information about anti-seizure medications
Many medications —even ones you can buy over the counter — can have an effect on the other medications your child is taking as part of their cancer treatment or anti-seizure treatment. Make sure your child’s treatment team knows about all the medications your child is taking. Check with the treatment team before giving any new medications.
Do not stop giving your child the anti-seizure medications or change the dose without talking to your child’s treatment team. The dose of the medication needs to be high enough to prevent a seizure.
What to do if your child has a seizure
Step 1: Stay calm and reassure others
Many people are scared when they see someone having a seizure. You can help your child by staying calm. Reassure them and others around you that everything is under control.
Step 2: Prevent injury
Keep your child away from sources of danger. If they are near a stairway, a hot stove, a busy street, or other hazards, protect them as much as possible.
Remove nearby objects that are sharp or hard. Try to put something soft like a folded jacket under their head.
Do not hold them down or try to stop their movements, as this might result in injury.
Step 3: Be aware of the length of the seizure
If possible, note the time that the seizure begins, and how long it lasts. If it is the child’s first seizure, or their first convulsive seizure, or if the seizure lasts more than five minutes, call 911 or emergency services. Pay attention to the nature and the length of the seizure so you can give an accurate report.
Step 4: Make your child as comfortable as possible
Remove glasses so they do not break.
If your child has food in their mouth, do not attempt to take the food out as this may actually push it farther in.
If possible, roll them gently onto their side, or roll their head and if possible, their upper body to the side so that any fluids can drain out of their mouth. You may need to wait until they have stopped shaking.
Loosen anything around their neck to make breathing easier. Loosen buttons or belts that are tight.
Step 5: Do not put anything in your child’s mouth
Putting a finger, a spoon, a pencil, or any other object in their mouth could result in choking or broken teeth, not to mention a bitten finger. It is a common misconception that people can swallow their tongue during a seizure. This is not true because the tongue is attached to the base of the mouth.
Step 6: Keep bystanders away
Only one or two people are needed for first aid. Your child may feel upset and embarrassed when they become conscious if many people have been watching.
Step 7: Do not give your child any water, food, or pills until the seizure is over and they are fully alert
This will prevent choking. In some cases, your child’s doctor may have prescribed medication to be used at the time of the seizure; use it as directed. An easy way to check if they are alert is by asking simple questions until your child has returned to their usual state.
Step 8: Be sensitive and supportive after the seizure
Children usually recover from seizures on their own.
If your child is old enough, explain to them exactly what happened, and how long the seizure lasted.
Your child may want to be comforted. Help to reorient them by telling them where they are and describing to them what has happened.
They may have wet their pants or had a bowel movement during a seizure. Providing dry undergarments as soon as possible after the seizure will help them to feel more comfortable and may lessen any feelings of embarrassment. Tell them you know that they could not help it.
Step 9: After the seizure
If your child complains of minor pain from a headache, muscle ache, or bitten tongue, acetaminophen may help.
If they have severe pain, or if they were injured during the seizure, take them to see a doctor.
If your child has a fever associated with the seizure, consult your child’s doctor. They may have an infection that needs to be treated.
