General

What is the best treatment for infantile spasms?

Standard

What is the best treatment for infantile spasms?

The two standard treatments for IS are hormone therapy (ACTH or steroids) or a drug called vigabatrin (Sabril®)….Medicine to Treat Infantile Spasms (IS)

  • The ketogenic diet.
  • Other anti-seizure medicine.
  • Surgery.

Is West syndrome curable?

There is no cure for West syndrome, so unfortunately, the only treatment is to reduce symptoms. West syndrome treatments usually include a course of prednisolone and/or an anti-epileptic medication. In a few individuals, surgery in the brain may help reduce symptoms.

How is hypsarrhythmia treated?

Children with IS typically exhibit epileptic spasms along with the electroencephalographic (EEG) pattern known as hypsarrhythmia. The major options for treatment of IS include hormonal therapy, mainly corticotropin (ACTH), and antiseizure medication, mainly vigabatrin.

Can you interrupt infantile spasms?

There is no treatment to stop a cluster of infantile spasms after it has started. During a cluster, you can hold your baby or place them on a soft surface (Picture 1). Also, if possible, you should: Take a video of the cluster for the doctor to see.

Can a baby with infantile spasms live a normal life?

An etiologic diagnosis is very important because it can lead to initiation of a specific therapy that may markedly improve the long-term developmental outcome. In fact, some children with infantile spasms may ultimately lead normal lives, but only if they are diagnosed and treated correctly.

Can Keppra help with infantile spasms?

Levetiracetam (Keppra, Keppra XR) An open-label trial of 5 infants with new-onset, cryptogenic infantile spasms showed levetiracetam to be clinically effective. Two children became seizure free, while 2 others showed a minimum of 50% reduction in seizures. The dose ranged from 30-60 mg/kg/day.

Do children grow out of West syndrome?

It’s rare, but some children who had West syndrome as babies will die before adulthood. It usually happens before the age of 10. Your baby is more likely to develop normally if: They were at least 4 months old before they got West syndrome.

Can infantile spasms cause autism?

A new study found that nearly half of babies who suffer from infantile spasms are not accurately diagnosed for more than a month and this delay can increase the risk of intellectual disability, autism, lifelong epilepsy, and death.

Do infantile spasms cause mental retardation?

Do infantile spasms cause brain damage?

Infantile spasms are a complex and rare disorder that can have very serious consequences. It can lead to death in some children and cause intellectual disabilities and developmental problems in others. Even if the seizures are managed, the damaging brain effects can remain.

Are infantile spasms lifelong?

Spasms usually cease by 5 years of age, but other seizure types are reported in as many as 60% of children with IS even after cessation of spasms [5].

Does West syndrome show on EEG?

The diagnosis of West syndrome is made on a combination of the clinical features together with a typical EEG. The EEG shows a very disorganised pattern, called hypsarrhythmia. The EEG is always abnormal in children with West syndrome but sometimes the abnormality is seen only during sleep.