Notice to Readers: National Epilepsy Month --- November 2000
November is National Epilepsy Month. Epilepsy, a central nervous system
disorder characterized by unprovoked recurrent seizures, affects approximately 2.3 million
persons in the United States. Of these, approximately 316,000 are children aged <15
years. It is common for a child to daydream or, when first awakened from sleep, to
appear sleepy and irritable. It also is common for a toddler to fall suddenly when learning to walk.
When these behaviors occur often or in patterns, however, they actually may be
signs that a child is having a seizure. To address this concern, the Epilepsy Foundation and
its affiliates have launched the "Kids & Seizures: Know the Hidden Signs" campaign as
the focus of this year's National Epilepsy Month activities. The activities will be directed
at parents, daycare workers, and other care givers to help them recognize the common
and little-known signs of epilepsy.
Additional information about epilepsy or the "Kids & Seizures: Know the
Hidden Signs" campaign is available from the National Epilepsy Foundation, telephone
(800) EFA-1000, or the World-Wide Web, http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
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