This week is Infantile Spasms Awareness Week. This is an important week in Epilepsy Ireland’s calendar as we are a proud member of the Infantile Spasms Awareness Network - an international organisation committed to raising awareness of this rare but extremely serious type of epilepsy.
While rare, Infantile Spasms are very serious and can often be overlooked or misdiagnosed due to how subtly the seizures can present. The seizures include repetitive but often subtle movements – including jerking of the mid-section, dropping of the head, raising of the arms or wide-eyed blinks The video below which has been provided to us to share as part of our activities for #ISAW2023 shows how subtle the seizures can be. If the spasms continue to be undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to permanent damage to a child’s developing brain.
Research shows that the spasms are most likely to peak in a child between 4 & 6 months old – but they can begin to present at any stage during a child’s first 2 years. As part of Infantile Spasms Week, we appeal to new and expectant parents to learn more about Infantile Spasms and to remember the key word of STOP:
See the Signs
Take a video
Obtain diagnosis
Prioritise treatment
Throughout the week on our website and social media channels, we will be sharing our information resources on Infantile Spasms to help raise awareness; as well as sharing two personal stories from families whose children have been diagnosed with Infantile Spasms. Both these stories are linked below:
You can learn more about Infantile Spasms by visiting the ‘Infantile Spasms’ section of our website. Please do share this information with any new or expectant parents that you may know so they are aware of this vital information.
#ISAW2023