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Seizures are common in children, affecting tens of thousands of children in the United States each year.

Many different things can cause seizures, and not every seizure means a child has epilepsy. It’s important to recognize the signs of seizures and know what to do if your child has one.

With proper seizure management, many children can overcome their seizures and live a seizure-free life.

Learn more about seizures in children, including causes, warning signs, and treatment.

What Is a Childhood Seizure?

A seizure is a sudden change in physical and/or mental function brought on by disruptions to the brain’s electrical activity. Those disruptions can cause many different temporary physical and behavioral symptoms.

“Seizure in a child means, in general, any episode of unresponsiveness where a child does not respond to a parent’s touch or voice and stops doing what they were doing,” says Gull Zareen Khan Sial, MD, pediatric neurologist, UPMC Children’s in Central Pa. “It may or may not be associated with any abnormal body movements.”

Children of any age can have seizures, Dr. Sial says. Some children may face a higher risk than others.

Types of seizures

The two major types of seizures are as follows:

• Focal seizures — These are seizures that begin in one specific part of the brain.
• Generalized seizures — These are seizures that begin in multiple areas of the brain or the whole brain.

These two types of seizures can also include subgroups based on factors like the symptoms experienced during a particular seizure. For example, a tonic-clonic seizure features symptoms such as a stiffened body followed by convulsions. Meanwhile, an absence seizure includes symptoms such as staring into space with no response to words or touch.

What Causes Childhood Seizures?

Many different factors can cause seizures in children. The term for these is provoked seizures.

Causes of provoked seizures include:

• Brain aneurysm.
• Brain infection.
• Brain tumor.
• Electrolyte imbalances.
• Fever.
• Head or brain injury, such as concussion.
• Low blood sugar.
• Reaction to medication.
• Stroke.

A seizure caused by a high fever is a febrile seizure. They’re common in children between 6 months and 5 years of age.

“When a seizure happens for the first time in a child, we will want to look for provoked causes,” Dr. Sial says.

What Is Childhood Epilepsy?

Epilepsy, also known as seizure disorder, is a brain disorder that can lead to chronic seizures.

A child has epilepsy when they:

• Have more than one unprovoked seizure more than 24 hours apart.
• Have one unprovoked seizure and face the risk of more.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 456,000 American children had active epilepsy in 2022.

Many different things can cause epilepsy. These can include abnormal brain structure, genetics, head trauma, and infections.

What Are the Signs of a Seizure?

Not all seizures look the same. They can include motor (physical) symptoms and non-motor (behavioral or changes in mental status) symptoms.

Common seizure warning signs include:

• Blank stare.
• Color changes, such as turning pale or bluish.
• Confusion.
• Convulsions.
• Drooling or foaming at the mouth.
• Stiffening of the body and/or followed by jerking movements.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Numbness or tingling.
• Severe headache.
• Shallow breathing.
• Unexplained or unusual movements.
• Unresponsiveness to voice or touch.
• Urinary or fecal incontinence.
• Vomiting.

What Should I Do if My Child Has a Seizure?

Knowing what to do when your child has a seizure can help keep them safe.

“The first response when we see a child having a seizure is very important,” Dr. Sial says. “It’s very scary for the person who sees it. But the important thing is to try to maintain your calm and try to help the child in the best possible way.”

Take the following steps if your child is having a seizure:

1. Stay with your child — Never leave your child alone during a seizure. Stay with them, even after the seizure ends, to offer comfort and monitor their recovery.
2. Lay them on a flat surface — Make sure they have enough space, especially if they’re convulsing. Remove any nearby items that could cause them harm.
3. Lay them on their side — After putting them on a flat surface, lay them on their side to keep their airway open. This will also keep them from choking on vomit or other secretions.
4. Don’t put anything in their mouth — Putting things in their mouth can cause choking or other injuries.
5. Don’t hold your child down — Holding your child down while they’re having convulsions can cause injury.
6. Time the seizure — If you have a watch or timer, track how long the seizure lasts. Most seizures last a few seconds to a few minutes, but if a seizure is five minutes or longer, your child may need rescue medication.
7. Call 911 — You should call 911 if:

• It’s your child’s first seizure.
• The seizure lasts five minutes or longer.
• Your child has another seizure without regaining consciousness.
• Your child sustains an injury during the seizure or has trouble waking up after the seizure.

After your child’s seizure is over, stay with them and keep them calm. Call their pediatrician if the seizure lasted under five minutes.

If a seizure lasts five minutes or longer, seek immediate medical attention to prevent significant brain damage. Your child may need rescue medicine to stop the seizure.

“In general, any seizure which is lasting for five minutes or more can cause some brain damage,” Dr. Sial says. “That is why we administer rescue seizure medications.”

Administering rescue medications can differ depending on the specific medication. Types of rescue medications include rectal suppositories, nasal sprays, and dissolvable oral tablets.

Someone who’s received training in administering the medicine should give it to your child, whether it’s you or a medical professional.

How Do Doctors Diagnose Seizures?

If you suspect your child had a seizure, it’s important to see a pediatric neurologist. They can help determine the cause of the seizure and determine a treatment plan.

The neurologist will ask you or your child about their medical history and their symptoms. They’ll also run tests, which may include:

• Blood and urine cultures — To check for possible infections.
• Blood work — Such as tests for blood sugar and electrolytes such as calcium and magnesium.
• Brain imaging — Such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
• Electroencephalography (EEG) — A test of the electrical activity in your child’s brain.
• Genetic testing — To look for potential genetic causes.
• Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) — To check for infections.

If the tests show a provoked cause for the seizure, the neurologist will recommend treating that cause.

“If it’s a child’s first seizure, and you are able to figure out the cause, based on the initial labs and imaging testing, the child may not have seizures again if you take care of the cause,” Dr. Sial says.

Seeing a neurologist is also important because certain medical conditions can cause reactions that mimic a seizure. Neurologists can run tests to determine whether it was a seizure.

What Are Seizure and Epilepsy Treatments for Children?

If your child has a provoked seizure, the first line of treatment is to treat the underlying cause. In many cases, this will resolve the issue.

If a neurologist has diagnosed your child with epilepsy, they may need ongoing treatment, including:

• Antiseizure medications — Antiseizure medications are the first line of treatment for epilepsy. Children should take this medication regularly to prevent seizures. Sometimes, it may take multiple medications to find the right one for your child.
• Diet — If antiseizure medications aren’t adequately controlling your child’s seizures, their doctor may recommend the high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. “We do that with the help of a dietitian because we want to monitor the child both for seizure control and for complications of a ketogenic diet in the long term,” Dr. Sial says.
• Neuromodulation — If your child has tried multiple antiseizure medications without success, their neurologist may recommend neuromodulation. Neuromodulation involves using a small implantable device to electrically stimulate the brain or nerves to prevent seizures. Neuromodulation for epilepsy may include deep brain stimulation (DBS), responsive neurostimulation (RNS), and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).
• Surgery — Surgery is a possible option for your child’s focal seizures if multiple medications haven’t controlled them. A neurosurgeon will remove the area of the brain causing the seizures. Surgery isn’t an option if removing that area of the brain would cause a significant impact on brain function.

How Can You Prevent Seizures in Children?

If your child has epilepsy, the most important step in seizure prevention is ensuring they take their antiseizure medication.

Other prevention steps may include:

• Avoiding triggers — Certain environmental or lifestyle factors can potentially trigger seizures. These can vary widely to include loud noises, flashing lights, fatigue, and low blood sugar. If you notice triggers that may have something to do with your child’s seizures, do everything possible to avoid them.
• Keeping a healthy lifestyle — Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep are all lifestyle steps that may help prevent seizures.

Also, there are steps you can take to prevent epilepsy or provoked seizures in your child. These include:

• Getting prenatal care to avoid birth injury.
• Getting recommended vaccinations for your child.
• Giving your child medication to lower fevers and prevent febrile seizures.
• Having your child follow healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.
• Preventing head injuries (such as from car or bike accidents, sports injuries, or other trauma).

What is the Prognosis for Children with Epilepsy?

In most cases, children with epilepsy can live a normal life. There’s a risk of other associated conditions, including:

• Behavioral disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Intellectual or learning disabilities.
• Mental health disorders, such as stress, anxiety, or depression.
• Sleep disorders.

Another possible risk is sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). This is a rare, devastating complication in which a person with epilepsy dies, typically during sleep. It also occurs more often in people with epilepsy who have frequent, uncontrolled seizures, Dr. Sial says.

However, most children with epilepsy live normal lives, Dr. Sial says. They can participate in school, recess, and sports — potentially even contact sports if they wear a helmet and can get seizure first aid right away. You should make your child’s school aware of their condition, so the staff knows what to do if they have a seizure.

“The purpose of giving seizure medications is to manage the symptoms while allowing the child to have as normal a life as possible,” Dr. Sial says. “They can still do strenuous activity, but their teacher needs to be aware that if this child has a seizure, they can provide help.”

Dr. Sial does say that supervision is important for children with epilepsy. She also recommends avoiding heights and sports like rock climbing. Other seizure precautions include leaving the bathroom door unlocked and taking showers instead of baths, Dr. Sial says.

If your child is 16 or older and wants to drive, requirements vary by state. In general, your child will have to show they’ve been seizure-free for a certain length of time. For example, in Pennsylvania, teens can’t drive unless they’ve been seizure-free for six months with doctor verification.

Over time, your child may be able to stop taking their antiseizure medications. If they’ve been seizure-free for at least six months, talk to their neurologist about what they recommend. They shouldn’t stop taking the medication until their doctor OKs it.

If your child has a seizure, it may feel concerning or scary. But with the right care and management, they can lead a healthy life.

Across Pennsylvania, our multidisciplinary team of experts at UPMC Children’s helps children and families from diagnosis through treatment. The Epilepsy Center at UPMC Children’s provides complete care for children with epilepsy.

For more information, visit our website.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on February 11, 2025, and was last reviewed on January 12, 2026.