Kids

The following tips are ways parents can help improve safety for children with epilepsy:

• A monitor in the child's bedroom may alert you to the sound of a typical seizure.
• Avoid top bunks. A lower bunk, a regular bed, a futon or even a mattress on the floor is a safer place to sleep for a child with seizures.
• A well fitting-helmet with a face guard may protect against head and facial injuries from severe drop seizures.
• Have the child wear a life vest when near water, including the backyard pool.
• Closely supervise showers and tub baths.
• Put a list of first aid steps on the refrigerator or some other place where it's easy to find.
• When you have babysitters, go over first aid steps, write down the phone number where you or a relative can be reached; include the doctor's number and the one for the emergency squad on the same sheet.
• If your child is going to sleep at a friend's or relative's house overnight, make sure a copy of the list goes along too, and that an adult in the house knows what to expect and what to do if a seizure happens.
• Not every childhood injury is preventable, whether or not a child has seizures. Try to strike a balance between safety and overprotection.