AAN Issues New Guideline for Treating Infantile Spasms

An updated guideline from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) outlines the best treatments for infantile spasms — a rare type of seizure that can occur in infants and young children. The guideline was co-developed with the Child Neurology Society. It appears in the June 12, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Infantile spasms is a disorder that usually occurs in infants ages four to six months. The spasms are a type of seizure consisting of a sudden bending forward of the body with stiffening of the arms and legs or arching of the back while the arms and legs are extended. Infantile spasms rarely respond to the usual anti-seizure medications. Most children who suffer from infantile spasms have developmental disabilities later in life. For more information, click here to read the full release.