Infantile spasms (also referred to as West Syndrome) is a serious and rare epilepsy that affects infants. These seizures are brief frequent jerks, which could result in long-term developmental issues in the event that they are not addressed and treated promptly. Understanding the symptoms of infantile jerks as the parent can change the course of your child’s development.
Recognizing the Signs The Symptoms of Infantile Spasms
Infantile spasms can be subtle and easily mistaken for normal baby movements. There are some distinct warning signs to look out for.
Sudden jerks: The spasms usually involve the baby’s neck and upper body, which causes them to bend quickly. Legs and arms may also be moved quickly.
Infrequent episodes: These spasms are often grouped together in the space of a few minutes (seconds or even minutes). The clusters can occur repeatedly throughout the day.
Babies can appear agitated or cry when they are in a spasm.
The Power of Video: Capturing Infantile Spasms for the early diagnosis
It is imperative to act quickly if believe your child might have spasms in the infant. Early diagnosis and treatment are dependent on every second. This is where recording a video could be lifesaving:
Visual evidence. Documenting your child’s experience with a cluster of spasms can help doctors to diagnose the problem. These brief events may be missed during a doctor’s appointment.
The video can help doctors to make an accurate diagnosis of infantile spasms and differentiate the different types or seizures.
Rapid treatment: Early detection can facilitate treatment in a short time possibly reducing developmental delays that result from non-treated spasms in infants.
Take Action Now if You suspect that your child has spastics
If you witness your baby being prone to infantile spasms, the following symptoms may be present:
Video recording: Record the spasms with your phone or camera, and capture as many details as you can.
Make contact with your pediatrician as quickly as possible. It is imperative to ensure that your child visits their pediatrician. Your concerns should be explained and share the video. Be sure to emphasize the urgency.
It is important to seek emergency medical attention, if required. If you are unable to reach your pediatric doctor immediately, you should take your infant and the video to an emergency center nearby for children.
Early intervention is essential in ensuring your child’s future
Infantile spasms can be a trigger to cause significant developmental delays which can result in a range of challenges such as intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and cerebral palsy. In order to optimize your child’s odds of regaining and reaching developmental milestones it is imperative to identify and treat them promptly. Various treatment modalities exist to address infantile spasms including pharmaceutical treatments to specialized dietary regimens, and in extreme cases, surgical intervention may be required. Parents can assist their children to achieve improved cognitive and motor functioning by addressing the problem promptly.
Keep in mind: Don’t dismiss the instincts of your body if you think there’s something not right with your child. Always be aware. It’s important to know infantile spasms ‘ symptoms, make an image of them when you notice them and seek immediate medical attention.