Epilepsy

Treatment of Children

The goal of Mayo Clinic's multispecialty team of pediatric experts is to find the most appropriate treatment for the child with epilepsy. Careful diagnosis and management can help children with epilepsy lead fulfilling and productive lives.

Children who come to Mayo Clinic are treated at Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital in Minnesota, a state-of-the-art, family-friendly children's hospital within Saint Marys Hospital.

Some children with specific epilepsy syndromes may stop having seizures as they approach adulthood. Other syndromes are associated with continued, but infrequent, seizures or are easily controlled with medication. Unfortunately, some seizure disorders continue and may worsen with time.

Diagnosis

Careful evaluation by a child neurologist with appropriate EEG and MRI studies can help define the seizure type(s) and epilepsy syndrome. The Video-EEG monitoring unit at Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital helps pinpoint seizure onset, allowing surgeons to more easily target areas for surgery.

Treatment Options

In general, epilepsy treatment options for children are the same as for adults.

Medications are the first line of treatment. Medication should be started when there is a significant likelihood that additional seizures will occur and that the seizures will cause potential physical, educational or social harm. This can best be predicted by proper identification of seizure type(s) and epilepsy syndrome.

If seizures persist despite reasonable trials of available antiepileptic medications, several alternatives are available, depending on the seizure type(s) and the underlying cause:

• Surgery
• Vagus Nerve
• Ketogenic diet

Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet has been used at the Mayo Clinic since 1921, primarily in childhood epilepsy. It is offered only at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The mechanism by which the ketogenic diet works is unknown. The high-fat, low-protein, no-carbohydrate diet mimics some effects of starvation that seem to inhibit seizures. The diet is very rigid and carefully controlled, and must be supervised by a physician — sometimes in a hospital setting. Ketogenic diets have been used for epileptic children for many years with a success rate of approximately 50 percent. Close collaboration with an experienced dietitian knowledgeable in the implementation of the ketogenic diet, and dedication of the patient and his or her family are essential for this treatment to work.

Treatment Team

Members of the Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology evaluate and treat patients with epilepsy.

Appointments

For appointments or more information, call (507) 284-9974 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday.