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Medical Edge Newspaper Column from Mayo Clinic
TODDLER’S SEIZURES COULD HAVE BENIGN OR SERIOUS CAUSE
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My nephew, age 18 months, is having seizures. The doctors here say that they are from fevers, but he is having them without fevers as well. Can very young children get epilepsy? — West Des Moines, Iowa
ANSWER: Yes, very young children can have epilepsy, which is, by definition, two or more seizures without an acute cause. About 1 in 100 Americans have epilepsy, which can occur at any age. The incidence is highest in the first year or two of life.
It sounds like your nephew was diagnosed with febrile seizures, which occur in young children when there’s a sudden spike in body temperature. Febrile seizures usually are harmless and don’t indicate a long-term problem. The seizures can occur before a parent realizes that a child is ill with a fever.
If your nephew doesn’t have fever with his seizures, they aren’t febrile seizures. The seizures could be caused by a number of medical conditions, some serious. I would recommend that your nephew’s family seek a second opinion with a pediatric neurologist to identify the cause and develop a treatment plan.
— Jeff Buchhalter, M.D., Child and Adolescent Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
Additional Resources:
Epilepsy and Children
Appointment Information
More Information on Epilepsy
WOMEN: New research on how alcohol affects your health makes it a good time to reassess how much you drink.
Until recently, most studies on alcohol and its effect on health have been conducted only in men. But new research that included women has highlighted some differences.
Based on size and composition, men’s bodies are able to process slightly more alcohol with fewer negative consequences than women can. The primary difference between men and women, however, is the amount of an enzyme — gastric alcohol dehydrogenase — that’s produced. This enzyme begins to process the alcohol before it leaves the stomach; the less of it you produce, the more alcohol leaves your stomach in its original form, affecting the intestine, bloodstream and liver. Women naturally produce less gastric alcohol dehydrogenase than men do and are, therefore, less able to break down alcohol.
Because of these differences, it’s important that women take extra caution with alcohol consumption. Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource covers how alcohol affects women’s health.
— Heart disease: Even though limited alcohol consumption may decrease cholesterol levels, having more than one alcoholic drink a day is associated with an increased risk of heart and circulatory problems, particularly high blood pressure, a weakness of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) and stroke.
— Cirrhosis of the liver: Women have a two to three times greater risk than men do of developing cirrhosis of the liver, even when they drink the same amount. Both cirrhosis and alcohol-related brain damage occur in women over a shorter time period and with lower levels of alcohol consumed, as compared to men.
— Cancer: Among women who drink, cancer risks increase with increasing amounts of alcohol ingested. If you have more than one drink a day, each subsequent drink up to six drinks a day increases your risk of developing breast cancer by 9 percent. In other words, three drinks a day result in an 18 percent increased risk of breast cancer. Six drinks a day result in a 45 percent increased risk. Your chance of getting cancer of the mouth, larynx, colon, esophagus or stomach also increases with alcohol consumption.
— Appearance: Each serving of alcohol contains between 65 and 200 calories. Over time, these extra calories can add up, leading to weight gain that can negatively impact your overall health.
In those who abuse alcohol or are addicted to it, the truly “ugly” effects aren’t cosmetic. They are related to the social disconnection and isolation that can occur with a drinking problem, and an increased likelihood of depression.
How much is safe: For younger women who aren’t planning a pregnancy, one drink of alcohol a day may have some health benefits. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Postmenopausal women should limit themselves to less than one drink a day. There is no safe level for women who are pregnant or who suffer from addiction.
Additional Resources:
News Release - Women and Alcohol
News Release - Alcohol: Its Riskier for Women
More Information - Alcohol Use Quiz
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Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t
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Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y., 14207. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com.
© 2006 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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