Childhood Absence Epilepsy
- Introduction
- What is Childhood Absence Epilepsy?
- How do you get CAE?
- What are the symptoms?
- How is it diagnosed?
- What is the expected outcome?
- Will anyone else in the family get CAE?
- What is the treatment?
- How will my family’s life be changed?
- My child wants to go to sleepovers with friends, but does not sleep well and has more absence seizures the next day, despite medication. Is this common?
- My child has been seizure-free for over a year, then had a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. She is on medication and her blood level was good shortly before the seizure. Why did this happen?
- Every time my child gets a fever she seems to have more seizures. Why?
- Resources
Introduction
What is Childhood Absence Epilepsy?
How do you get CAE?
What are the symptoms?
- The child stares, sometimes blinks, eyes may start to roll back, eyes flutter
- The seizure lasts 2-20 seconds, but usually less than 10 seconds
- The seizure abruptly interrupts activity (such as drinking from cup, playing)
- The child isn't aware of surroundings, such as being called by name
- The child has many a day, sometimes up to 100/day
- The child has no warning; the seizures start and end suddenly
- The seizures may include lip puckering or lip smacking
How is it diagnosed?
What is the expected outcome?
Will anyone else in the family get CAE?
What is the treatment?
How will my family’s life be changed?
My child wants to go to sleepovers with friends, but does not sleep well and has more absence seizures the next day, despite medication. Is this common?
My child has been seizure-free for over a year, then had a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. She is on medication and her blood level was good shortly before the seizure. Why did this happen?
Every time my child gets a fever she seems to have more seizures. Why?
Resources
Information & Support
For Parents and Patients
Childhood Absence Epilepsy (Epilepsy Foundation)
National organization with local chapters that provides information and support.
Epilepsy Association of Utah
For individuals with epilepsy, families, and friends, this site offers newsletters, events, links, local and youth support
groups, activities for kids, first aid for seizures, and more.
Services for Patients & Families in Utah (UT)
Service Categories | # of providers* in: | UT | NW | Other states (5) (show) | | ID | MT | NM | NV | RI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities/Delays | 56 | 2 | 148 | 28 | 156 | 30 | 14 | |||
Electroencephalography (EEG) | ||||||||||
Medical Care Expense Assistance | 73 | 38 | 68 | 39 | 272 | 70 | 43 | |||
Pediatric Genetics | 7 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | |||
Pediatric Neurology | 6 | 1 | 16 | 31 | 6 | 15 |
For services not listed above, browse our Services categories or search our database.
* number of provider listings may vary by how states categorize services, whether providers are listed by organization or individual, how services are organized in the state, and other factors; Nationwide (NW) providers are generally limited to web-based services, provider locator services, and organizations that serve children from across the nation.