Childhood seizures are medical conditions, not spiritual attacks: Paediatrician

He said seizures result from abnormal electrical activity in the brain and could manifest as jerky or stretching movements

Leo Odudu, medical director at Emel Hospital, Festac, has urged parents to seek prompt medical care for children with seizures, describing the condition as treatable and not a spiritual attack

Mr Odudu said in an interview on Sunday that seizures result from abnormal electrical activity in the brain and could manifest as jerky or stretching movements, behavioural and mood changes, repetitive behaviours, fainting spells or loss of consciousness

He explained that a seizure was a single event that might occur once in an individual’s lifetime, while epilepsy referred to a condition characterised by recurrent seizures over time

According to him, available literature estimates that about two to three per cent of children experience seizures

Mr Odudu said the causes of seizures in infants and children varied widely and could arise from factors relating to the mother, pregnancy, delivery or the baby

He listed perinatal asphyxia, hypoglycaemia, neonatal sepsis, neonatal meningitis, birth trauma, electrolyte imbalance, severe neonatal jaundice, maternal medications, congenital defects, extreme low birth weight and inborn errors of metabolism as causes in newborns

The paediatrician said older children could develop seizures from meningitis, severe sepsis, electrolyte imbalance, severe malaria and head injury

He identified febrile convulsion as one of the commonest childhood seizures, noting that it affects about 10 to 18 per cent of Nigerian children between three months and five years

According to Mr Odudu, febrile seizures usually resolve once the underlying cause of the fever is treated

He stressed that a mother’s well-being during pregnancy was crucial to the baby’s health and could influence the risk of seizures after birth

Mr Odudu said maternal infections, including those associated with TORCH syndrome, maternal medications, alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, smoking and delivery complications could predispose a child to seizures

TORCH syndrome is an acronym for toxoplasmosis, rubella, herpes, syphilis, and cytomegalovirus

He added that hormonal disorders, including hypo- and hyperthyroidism, hypertension resulting in severe pre-eclampsia and diabetes, could also increase seizure risk in newborns

According to him, harmful substances consumed during pregnancy cross the placenta, alter the baby’s brain metabolism and may cause withdrawal symptoms after birth

Mr Odudu identified prolonged labour, birth asphyxia and extreme prematurity as leading causes of seizures during the newborn period

He added that birth trauma from instrumental deliveries and delayed labour resulting from poor obstetric care also contributed to seizures

The medical director said some genetic defects and chromosomal abnormalities predisposed children to seizures

He added that febrile seizures commonly ran in families, noting that where a child convulsed during fever, there was more than a 50 per cent chance that either parent had experienced febrile seizures in childhood

Mr Odudu said seizure manifestations differed across age groups and could be difficult to recognise during the first three months of life

He said repeated blinking, lip smacking, eye rolling and jerking of a single limb were possible signs in infants

According to him, older children commonly present with jerking of one or both limbs, clenching of the teeth, staring into space, and failure to respond to calls

Mr Odudu advised parents to remain calm during a seizure, remove nearby dangers, clear the child’s airway, and place the child on the side to prevent choking

He recommended tepid sponging with lukewarm water and rectal paracetamol, where available, for children with febrile seizures

“But on no account should anything be given through the mouth during a seizure,” he warned

Mr Odudu also discouraged harmful practices such as putting onion juice into the eyes, administering local pomades or concoctions, giving cow or human urine to drink, or placing a child’s feet in fire

He said children should be taken to the hospital immediately after a seizure for proper evaluation and treatment

According to him, diagnosis is usually based on the pattern of abnormal movements, while investigations may include an electroencephalogram (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), blood tests, and a lumbar puncture where necessary

Mr Odudu said seizures caused by fever, electrolyte imbalance or low blood sugar usually stopped once the underlying condition was corrected

He explained that some children, depending on the cause, might require anti-seizure medications for prolonged periods, while severe congenital defects could result in lifelong seizures

He added that surgery had been used successfully in some advanced cases to reduce seizures

Mr Odudu urged pregnant women to attend antenatal care regularly, avoid alcohol, tobacco and local concoctions, maintain good nutrition and disclose any underlying medical conditions during pregnancy

He advised parents witnessing a child’s first seizure to remain calm and seek immediate medical attention to determine the cause

“Seizures are not spiritual attacks; they are caused by medical conditions

“If a child has febrile seizures, it does not mean the child will have seizures for life. It may be a one-off episode

“Drugs can control seizures. Giving cow or human urine, squeezing onion juice into the eyes or mouth, administering local pomades or putting the child’s feet in fire are not remedies

“Also, touching a person having seizures will not cause another person to develop seizures. That belief is completely false,” Mr Odudu said

We have recently deactivated our website’s comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Politics

2027: Minister vows to mobilise one million votes for Tinubu, Radda in Katsina

Mr Rabe-Darma vowed to mobilise over one million votes for President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dikko Radda ahead of the 2027 elections

Heading 5

Mamdani considers arresting Israeli PM Netanyahu if he visits New York

Mr Mamdani said his administration’s legal department is weighing the option of arresting the Israeli leader as determined by the law

Lagos

LAWMA unveils reforms to end waste backlog in Lagos

He said conventional dumpsites were no longer sustainable because of Lagos’ coastal terrain, limited land availability and growing urban population

Economy

EU bans destruction of unsold clothing

The policy took effect on Sunday, and the EU also announced it would extend to medium-sized companies starting in 2030

NationWide

FRSC inaugurates special intervention patrol, unveils 12 code-named operations

The FRSC said the operations aim to reduce road traffic crashes, save lives, and make Nigerian roads safer

Health