Seizures are simply changes in normal brain electrical activities. The nerve cells that send regular controlled signals are now stimulated and excited and sending more signals at the same time. This abnormal excitation lasts from few seconds to few moments and it might present by abnormal movement (e.g. shaking of the whole body), abnormal behavior, loss of consciousness, and biting of the tongue.
Neonates and infants are totally different from adults in terms of pathogenesis, presentation, causes, Electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern, and management of seizures (1).
1What causes seizures in children?
Causes of seizures in children differ from adults. The most common cause of seizures is the febrile seizure, other causes are epilepsy, brain hypoxia, some medications or missed medications, some food, low or high body temperature, high or low blood sugar, electrolytes abnormalities, photosensitivity and lights, brain pathology, head trauma, sleep disorder, carbon monoxide toxicity. Regarding carbon monoxide toxicity, there was a recent story of a mother who was put in jail because there was an exhaust leak from her car that caused carbon monoxide toxicity and caused her 3 children to experience convulsions (2).
