What are the symptoms of convulsions in children?

Due to their incomplete physical development, children are prone to abnormal physical reactions due to various stimuli. For example, convulsions are a common symptom in children during sleep. Ordinary convulsion symptoms do not have much impact on physical development, but convulsion symptoms that occur during wakefulness need to be taken seriously. Let’s take a look at the manifestations of convulsion symptoms in children.

The incidence of childhood convulsions is very high, with 5% to 6% of children having one or more convulsions. Frequent or persistent seizures may be life-threatening or leave children with serious sequelae, affecting their intellectual development and health.

1. A few people may have precursors before an attack: extreme irritability or "startling" from time to time, mental tension; frightened expression, sudden increase in muscle tension in the limbs; sudden rapid, paused or irregular breathing; sudden rise in body temperature, drastic change in complexion; pupils of different sizes; uneven edges.

2. Typical manifestations include sudden onset , loss of consciousness, head tilted back, fixed upward or squinting eyes, foaming at the mouth, clenched jaws, and clonus or tonic convulsions of the facial or limb muscles. In severe cases, the patient may experience neck stiffness, opisthotonos, irregular breathing, cyanosis, or incontinence. The duration may be from a few seconds to several minutes or longer. Then turn into drowsiness or coma. Examination during or shortly after an attack may reveal signs such as dilated pupils, slow reaction to light, and positive pathological reflexes. Consciousness is restored shortly after the attack stops.

3. Neonatal convulsions are rarely manifested as systemic convulsions . They are often manifested as irregular or paused breathing, paroxysmal cyanosis or pallor, staring eyes, nystagmus, blinking movements, or sucking and chewing movements.