children s health issues
Infantile Spasms
Introduction
In infantile spasms, children suddenly raise and bend their arms, bend their neck and upper body forward, and straighten their legs. The spasms are usually caused by serious brain disorders. Many children who have infantile spasms also develop abnormally or have intellectual disability. Electroencephalography is done to diagnose the disorder, and analysis of samples of blood, urine, and the fluid around the spinal cord as well as brain imaging help doctors identify the cause. Adrenocorticotropic hormone, a corticosteroid, andvigabatrinare medications that help control the spasms. Infantile spasms are a type of Seizures in Children . A seizure is an abnormal, unregulated electrical discharge that occurs within the brain and temporarily interrupts normal brain function. Infantile spasms last for only a few seconds but typically occur close together in a series that lasts several minutes. Children may have many series of spasms a day. Spasms usually start when children are younger than 1 year of age. They may stop by 5 years of age, but often, another type of seizure then develops. 