A Survey of Mothers'' Impressions of Seizure Precipitants in Children with Epilepsy

In a survey of 446 children with epilepsy attending a regional EEG unit, mothers of nearly 90% of the children reported factors that appeared to act as precipitants of their children's seizures. The relationship between these factors and the seizures ranged from consistent triggers to an occasional association. There were no differences in incidence according to sex, site of focus, or type of epilepsy. Associations between environmental events or internal states are so commonly perceived by mothers that routine inquiry would appear warranted. If the event can be corroborated as a seizure precipitant, application of psychological methods of seizure control may be appropriate; if the event cannot be corroborated, needless anxiety about particular situations for a child may be avoided.