242 chapter 29
HELPING THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND EPILEPSY
Seizures can be frightening to those who see someone having them. For this reason,
epileptic children (and adults) sometimes have a hard time gaining acceptance in the
community.
Rehabilitation workers need to help everyone in the community realize that epilepsy
is not the result of witchcraft or the work of evil spirits. It is not a sign of madness, is
not the result of bad actions by the child or parents or ancestors, is not an infectious
disease, and cannot be ‘caught’ or spread to other people.
It is important that epileptic children go to school and take part in day-to-day work,
play, and adventures in family and village life. This is true even if seizures are not
completely under control. The schoolteachers and other children should learn about
epilepsy and how to protect a child when she has a seizure. If they learn more about
epilepsy it will help
them to be supportive
rather than afraid or
cruel. (See CHILD-
to-child activities,
p. 429.)
Although children
with epilepsy should
be encouraged to
lead active, normal
lives, certain
precautions are
needed—especially
for children who
have sudden seizures
without warning.
Village children can
learn to help in the
safety of such a
child—especially at
times when danger
is greatest.
PREVENTION of epilepsy
1. Try to avoid causes of brain damage—during pregnancy, at birth, and in childhood.
This is discussed under prevention of cerebral palsy, p. 107.
2. Avoid marriage between close relatives, especially in families with a history of
epilepsy.
3. When children with epilepsy take their medicine regularly to prevent seizures,
sometimes the seizures do not come back after the medicine is stopped. To make it
more likely that seizures will not come back, be sure that the child takes her anti-
seizure medicine for at least a year after her last seizure. (Often, however, seizures
will still return when medicine is stopped. If this happens, the medicines should be
taken for at least another year before you try stopping again.)
Disabled village Children