Epilepsy in Children Epilepsy is characterized by repeated seizures that may occur as often as several times a day, or as infrequently as once every few months. Normally, millions of tiny electrical charges pass between nerve cells in the brain and throughout the body to control the body's many functions. Epileptic seizures are caused by unusual and strong bursts of electrical energy in the brain. Nearly one-third of people newly diagnosed each year with epilepsy are children.
Children are most prone to developing epilepsy in early childhood or at adolescence.
However, epilepsy can develop at any age in children or adults. Epilepsy may be triggered by structural abnormality in the brain, brain injury, an infection, or other factors. In the majority of cases, however, the cause cannot be determined. The source of epileptic seizures differs within each child's brain. Significant technological advances have greatly improved the diagnostic accuracy for children with epilepsy.