Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns and SymptomsTypesOther Causes of ShakingNext in Seizures GuideRescue Medications for Seizures
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Signs and Symptoms
Types
Other Causes of Shaking
Next in Seizures Guide
Observing your child shake, space out, or pass out from aseizureis frightening. Children can develop seizures from a fever, a neurological condition such asepilepsy, a head injury, or a congenital condition (one that is present at birth).
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Seizures Signs and Symptoms
Depending on the type of seizure, a child can experience a wide variety of symptoms. Some signs of seizures are easy to recognize, such as shaking and losing consciousness. Others are less obvious and may have no outward signs at all.
Signs that your child may be experiencing a seizure include:
What Is Epilepsy?
Types of Seizures
Generalized Seizures
Generalized seizures involve both sides of the brain and children typically lose consciousness. There are several different types of generalized seizures including absence, tonic or atonic, tonic-clonic, and myoclonic seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures, previously called partial seizures, begin with electrical activity in a small region of the brain and may or may not spread to other areas of the brain.They can occur in any lobe of the brain. Symptoms vary based on the brain regions involved.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, these can include motor or non-motor symptoms. A person having a focal aware seizure, previously called a simple partial seizure, will be aware but might be unable to talk or respond during the event.
Just prior to a focal seizure, your child may experience anauraor strange feeling that can involve sensory changes, such as alterations in hearing, vision, or smell. The seizure itself may last under a minute and the child does not lose consciousness.
Focal Epilepsy: What Happens in One-Sided Brain Seizures?
Complex Partial Seizures
In complex partial seizures, a child often experiences loss of consciousness. They may not always pass out, but during a complex partial seizure, a child will not be able to talk or interact with you at all, appearing to be in a trance.
Absence Seizures
Anabsence seizure, often referred to as petit mal seizure, is a non-convulsive seizure that is often not recognized as a seizure at all. A typical absence seizure manifests as a staring spell that usually lasts less than 10 seconds.
If your child experiences an absence seizure, they will likely not be aware it is happening. During the seizure, consciousness is impaired, but unlike with other seizures, there are no jerking movements or physical convulsions.
What Are Absence Seizures?
Atonic Seizures
Also called a “drop attack,“atonic seizuresinvolve a sudden loss of muscle tone and may cause your child to go limp and be unresponsive.
More common in children than adults, atonic seizures are relatively rare, with an estimated 1% to 3% of children with epilepsy experiencing atonic seizures.
Atonic seizures can be either focal or generalized. They sometimes begin with jerking motions, last for a short period, and have a quick recovery, provided no injuries were sustained from the fall.
Overview of Atonic Seizures
Tonic-Clonic Seizures
Atonic-clonic seizure, formerly called a grand mal seizure, is the “classic” type of seizure most people are familiar with.
This type of seizure involves loss of consciousness or awareness, plus uncontrolled jerking and stiffness of the arms, legs, or body. It generally lasts just a few seconds to a couple of minutes.
An Overview of Tonic-Clonic Seizures
Myoclonic Seizures
Myoclonic seizuresmost commonly occur in the morning and often occur in clusters (more than one).
Sometimes, myoclonic seizures can involve both sides of the body or more than one body part, such as an arm and a leg.
Myoclonic seizures don’t usually cause a complete loss of consciousness or severe shaking or jerking. Your child may feel tired or sleepy afterward, though that is not always the case.
Febrile Seizures
A seizure related to a high temperature is known as a febrile seizure. It is most common in children between 6 months and 5 years.These usually happen when a child’s temperature is over 102 degrees F. However, theydon’tusually happen withhigher temperatures(over 103 degrees F).
A febrile seizure can last between a few seconds to 10 or 15 minutes. Signs that a child is having a febrile seizure include rolling back of the head and stiffening of an arm or leg. In some cases, they result in full-body convulsions with loss of consciousness.
Although scary for parents, febrile seizures are not harmful and do not cause brain damage.
When Is a Fever Too High?
Not all jerking movements or shakes are due to seizures. Other conditions that may appear similar to seizures include:
A seizure that lasts five minutes or longer is a potentially life-threatening emergency calledstatus epilepticus. It typically requires treatment with a fast-acting medication that stops the seizure right away.
If you suspect your child is having seizures, contact your pediatrician. Your healthcare provider may refer you to a pediatric neurologist who can perform anelectroencephalogram(EEG), a test that measures abnormal brain activity). This might help determine if the episodes are seizures or not.
Coping With Epilepsy
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.What are the symptoms of a seizure in a child?Epilepsy Foundation.Types of seizures in children.Epilepsy Foundation.Types of seizures.Epilepsy Foundation.Absence seizures.The Hospital for Sick Children. AboutKidsHealth.Atonic seizures.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Febrile seizures.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Tremor.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.What are the symptoms of a seizure in a child?Epilepsy Foundation.Types of seizures in children.Epilepsy Foundation.Types of seizures.Epilepsy Foundation.Absence seizures.The Hospital for Sick Children. AboutKidsHealth.Atonic seizures.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Febrile seizures.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Tremor.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.What are the symptoms of a seizure in a child?Epilepsy Foundation.Types of seizures in children.Epilepsy Foundation.Types of seizures.Epilepsy Foundation.Absence seizures.The Hospital for Sick Children. AboutKidsHealth.Atonic seizures.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Febrile seizures.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Tremor.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.What are the symptoms of a seizure in a child?
Epilepsy Foundation.Types of seizures in children.
Epilepsy Foundation.Types of seizures.
Epilepsy Foundation.Absence seizures.
The Hospital for Sick Children. AboutKidsHealth.Atonic seizures.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Febrile seizures.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Tremor.
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