With seizure control, the vast majority of children can enjoy the same life and schooling as normal children. Many children with epilepsy grow up healthy and go on to school and employment successfully. Parents should pay attention to the following aspects.
They should try to keep the child with epilepsy in a normal order of life. Meals for children with epilepsy are roughly the same as those for normal children and do not require any increase or special avoidance of certain foods. However, care should be taken not to overeat, not to over-salt food, not to drink strong tea or coffee, and not to drink too much water in a short period of time. Attention should be paid to ensure that the child gets enough sleep. Zhang Guojun, Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
Some parents consider their children’s health is not good, so they restrict their children’s activities, which is inappropriate. Children are active by nature, and their bodies and minds can develop well through activity. If children are restricted too much, they will easily develop low self-esteem and loneliness, which is not conducive to the development of interpersonal communication, social adaptation and other abilities. Most children with epilepsy can participate in a variety of activities common to children, including physical education classes at school. When seizures are not under control, they should not participate in swimming, long-distance running, or high-altitude activities (such as climbing, swinging, or playing with hoops), nor should they go out on bicycles alone. You should avoid watching overly intense and exciting movies and videos, and do not play computer games as much as possible.
Most children with epilepsy have normal intelligence and can attend school or kindergarten as long as their seizures are infrequent. It is also important to take a realistic and scientific approach to learning based on the child’s specific situation and to avoid excessive stress or lack of sleep. A small number of children with special types of epilepsy with abnormal mental behavior or frequent seizures that are difficult to control at a moment’s notice should not participate in normal schooling or activities. In addition, parents of children with epilepsy should take the initiative to strengthen contact with the school and tell the teacher about their child’s situation so that the teacher has an idea of what to expect and pays appropriate attention to their child’s situation during school.