Community Forum Archive
The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.
Could my 9 year old daughter have Petite Mal?
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 12:57My 9 year old daughter has been "spacing out" little bits a time for a couple years now, and today her teacher just called with concern. She says she has noticed in more fequently in class, and when she is called upon, she kind of shrugs it off and says "what?". When this happens, her eyes may flutter, and it seems like she isn't listenting to you when you talk to her. Are there any other symptoms anyone can share or does this sound familiar of Petite Mal? Now I'm freaked out because I haden't thought much of it! I would appreciate any help and feedback. Concerned in Cleveland.
Comments
Re: Could my 9 year old daughter have Petite Mal?
Submitted by canajo on Fri, 2012-02-10 - 23:36
My daughter has absence seizures (aka petit mal seizures), diagnosed at age 8, most likely having them since the age of 7. We thought she was daydreaming as by the time we called her name, to get her attention, she would look at us and say "what?" and pick up with what she was doing before her seizure. Her seizures last for anywhere from one to 10 seconds so they are easy to miss. Her eyes flutter when she is seizing, which sounds like what your daughter does. Hopefully, your daughter will be seeing a neurologist, preferably an epileptologist and you can find out if she is indeed having seizures. One of the tests they will likely do is have her hyperventilate. As soon as she took a few breaths, she seized. They then followed up with an EEG and the absence seizures were confirmed. The Epilepsy Foundation has a video about the different kinds of seizures and you can actually see a person having an absence seizure. The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZspAKmqydmM&feature=plcp&context=C304fc99UDOEgsToPDskJCZPVuJ2tOkn6xH51b5RJw. Good luck!
My daughter has absence seizures (aka petit mal seizures), diagnosed at age 8, most likely having them since the age of 7. We thought she was daydreaming as by the time we called her name, to get her attention, she would look at us and say "what?" and pick up with what she was doing before her seizure. Her seizures last for anywhere from one to 10 seconds so they are easy to miss. Her eyes flutter when she is seizing, which sounds like what your daughter does. Hopefully, your daughter will be seeing a neurologist, preferably an epileptologist and you can find out if she is indeed having seizures. One of the tests they will likely do is have her hyperventilate. As soon as she took a few breaths, she seized. They then followed up with an EEG and the absence seizures were confirmed. The Epilepsy Foundation has a video about the different kinds of seizures and you can actually see a person having an absence seizure. The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZspAKmqydmM&feature=plcp&context=C304fc99UDOEgsToPDskJCZPVuJ2tOkn6xH51b5RJw. Good luck!
Re: Could my 9 year old daughter have Petite Mal?
Submitted by Spike. on Fri, 2012-02-10 - 14:31
The names of seizures were changed way back in the year 1981. So if you're having any difficulties trying to locate information for 'petit mal' seizures, try using the words 'absence seizures' instead.
http://my.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_absence
Bruce (I'm not a doctor, but instead, an epilepsy support group leader, epilepsy advocate, who has epilepsy.)
The names of seizures were changed way back in the year 1981. So if you're having any difficulties trying to locate information for 'petit mal' seizures, try using the words 'absence seizures' instead.
http://my.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_absence
Bruce (I'm not a doctor, but instead, an epilepsy support group leader, epilepsy advocate, who has epilepsy.)