PEDIATRIC EPILEPSY
The Epilepsy Foundation of Southeast Wisconsin (EFSEW) is the only agency specifically organized with specialized services and expertise to serve the unique and diverse needs of the 30,000 persons with a primary diagnosis of epilepsy and their families in our four county area.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Southeast Wisconsin serves a braod spectrum of persons with epilepsy. Approximately seventy percent of persons with epilepsy develop the seizure disorder before the age of eighteen, and at least 44-50 percent have medically uncontrolled seizures. The Center for Disease Control has designated childhood epilepsy a major health problem with significant developmental disabilities among children.
The impact on our children can be devastating. Our children pay a heavy price in terms of treatment, medication side effects, developmental delays, learning disabilities, and poor social interaction.
They are forced to cope with teasing, isolation from other children, fear of having seizures in front of their peers, low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety resulting in severe psychological problems. Our agency’s help with the social and psychological impact of the disorder can be as vital for our children as the quality of their medical care.
Many of our children are not able to develop to their full potential. Learning and language development are disrupted by the seizure itself, the antiepileptic drugs, and by a school environment that does not understand or appropriately support the child in his or her development and academic achievement. Training for the educational staff about epilepsy and the ability to prevent future learning problems is a clear area of need.
Prolonged seizures can evolve into a condition called status epilepticus, a medical emergency which can lead to brain damage for the child and even death.
Our four county service area of 1,500,000 persons is the most densely populated area in the state, with a highly diverse urban population and its resultant problems. Low income and under-served minority groups in the area have a high risk for having epilepsy. Among the causes of epilepsy in our urban area are lead poisoning, drug and alcohol abuse, and head trauma. Lack of preventative measures such as immunization, prenatal care, and lack of access to health care increase the risk factors. The increase in the birth of cocaine babies is cause for concern for the onset of seizures in the child.
Teenagers with epilepsy pose a special problem – there is an added risk of depression and suicide. For our adolescent clients, these years are a time of transition. The additional burden of having a seizure disorder affects their development physically, socially, emotionally and in the area of learning (memory loss). It is a time when the optimistic view that they will “grow out of having seizures” is shattered. A feeling of hopelessness emerges. Specialized assistance and support services provided by the Epilepsy Foundation of Southeast Wisconsin are essential.