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If your child doesn't respond to either hormone treatments or vigabatrin, further treatment options include:
- The ketogenic diet.
- Other anti-seizure medicine.
- Surgery.
How do you stop infantile spasms?
Infantile spasms usually are treated with seizure medicines or steroids. If medicines don't control the spasms, a special diet, such as the ketogenic diet, might help. Sometimes, doctors may recommend surgery.
Can infantile spasm be cured?
Infantile spasms usually stop by age five, but may be replaced by other seizure types. Many underlying disorders, such as birth injury, metabolic disorders, and genetic disorders can give rise to IS, making it important to identify the underlying cause. In some children, no cause can be found.
What is the first line treatment for infantile spasms?
ACTH. ACTH is probably the most universally accepted first-line treatment of infantile spasms, stemming from the class 1 randomized controlled trials performed from 1983-1999 that show its efficacy (36-39).
Can infantile spasms disappear?
The spasms will have disappeared by the age of 14 months in about three quarters of infants with this disorder. After this age the spasms can still come back but this is not common. infantile spasms can continue through to school age if they do not respond to treatment but eventually they do stop on their own.
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.
Are infantile spasms serious?
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.
How long does prednisolone take to work for infantile spasms?
After 2 weeks, all patients with clinical response to prednisolone based on parental report underwent repeat overnight video-EEG to confirm resolution of spasms and determine whether hypsarrhythmia was present.
How fast does ACTH work for infantile spasms?
Furthermore, the rapid (median response time of 2 days), all-or-none, and often permanent effects of ACTH on IS are not consistent with conventional anticonvulsant properties (Hrachovy and Frost, 1989; Baram, 1993; Baram et al., 1996, 1999).
How does ACTH stop infantile spasms?
ACTh (Adrenocorticotropic hormone) ACTH is a hormone that the body produces. ACTH stimulates part of the brain to release other hormones. In infantile spasms, the ACTH is injected into a muscle with an IV needle. Moderate evidence shows short-term use of ACTH may help treat infantile spasms.
How many times a day do infantile spasms happen?
Babies may have as many as 100 spasms a day. The seizures may be more likely to happen just as the baby is waking up. Infantile spasms most often begin between 4 and 7 months, but can start any time in the first few years of life. Later onset spasms may also occur but are rare.
What is the life expectancy of a child with infantile spasms?
About five in every 100 infants and children with West syndrome do not survive beyond five years of age. A study of 214 Finnish children over 25 years of age showed about 61% dying at or before age 10 years.
Are infantile spasms painful?
They may have many series of spasms per day. This type of seizure is usually only seen in young children. After a spasm, the baby may cry or laugh. The spasms do not cause pain, but the baby may cry because the quick jerking movement surprises them.