If physicians can determine where in the brain the seizures begin, they may use surgery to remove those cells - if they don't control necessary bodily functions. Fortunately for children who don' t respond to seizure medications already on the market, Children's has one of the largest programs in the nation examining investigational seizure drugs. These new drugs have been tested on animals, healthy human volunteers and adults with epilepsy before children are eligible to receive them. The consequences of not treating seizures are serious. Uncontrolled, prolonged seizures may be life threatening.
Seizures affect the self-esteem of children, who feel different from others, and embarrassed.
Teen-agers especially, working on building an independent identity, may encounter problems if seizures aren't controlled. In some states, there are laws that restrict driving privileges for persons affected by seizures. In Ohio, there are no legal restrictions, though doctors at Children's recommend that to be safe, patients be seizure-free for three months before driving. As new medications continue to be developed, physicians have had tremendous success in controlling seizures, Dr. Glauser says. One patient under the care of Children's neurologists had as many as 300 seizures a day before trying an investigational drug.