Pediatric epilepsy care at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital
Seizures and epilepsy can affect the daily life of your child and your family. Neurologists with Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital have the expertise to diagnose, treat and help manage your child’s seizures. We provide some of the most advanced epilepsy diagnostics, monitoring and treatments – including advanced surgical care, if needed. Our care doesn’t end when your child turns 18 – we help your child manage their epilepsy into adulthood at Ascension St. Vincent.
Care for all types of seizures and epilepsy
Our team is dedicated to delivering personalized care to children of all ages with seizures or epilepsy, including:
- Focal (partial or localization related) seizures
- Absence seizures
- Atonic seizures
- Clonic seizures
- Genetic epilepsy syndromes
- Tonic seizures
- Tonic-clonic seizures
- Myoclonic seizures
Comprehensive care for children with epilepsy
Multidisciplinary care: When you choose Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital for your child’s epilepsy care, you get a multidisciplinary care team. Your child’s care team may include epileptologists (epilepsy doctors), neurologists, neurosurgeons, specialized nurses, genetic counselors, certified child life specialists and more.
Advanced diagnostics and treatments: Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital delivers advanced epilepsy care. Our epileptologists have the expertise to deliver advanced neurodiagnostic monitoring. These advanced diagnostics help find the cause of your child’s seizures. Then, we create a care plan to help treat, manage and, in some cases, stop your child’s seizures.
Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital provides some of the latest treatments, including:
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Therapeutic treatments, medication and nerve stimulation
When you choose our epilepsy center for your child’s care, you are connected to advanced epilepsy care. We offer therapeutic treatments, including vagus nerve stimulation, antiepileptic drug therapy, diet and more.
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Diet
Diet changes along with medications may help children with epilepsy manage their seizures. The ketogenic (keto) diet may be recommended as part of your child’s care plan. The keto diet includes high-fat and low-carbohydrate foods. If this diet is recommended for your child, they will meet with our pediatric dietitian. Your child’s dietitian takes the time to explain the diet and what to expect. When your child starts a keto diet, they will have a 72 hour hospital stay to be monitored. Then, your child will have follow up appointments every 3-4 months. During these appointments, your child will meet with a team of specialists, including a pediatric neurologist, dietitian and pharmacist. Together, we deliver comprehensive care for your child.
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Surgical care
If surgery is recommended, have confidence knowing our neurosurgeons at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis have expertise in pediatric brain surgery for epilepsy.
Your child’s surgeon will take the time to explain the procedure to you and answer your questions. And, our nurses and child life specialists provide support to your family before, during and after surgery.
Connected to more pediatric specialty care: Our pediatric doctors and care teams are specially trained to care for children and their unique health needs. And at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, your child and family are connected to a team of pediatric specialists, including neurologists, neurosurgeons, dietitians, genetic counselors, physical and occupational therapists, mental health specialists, certified child life specialists, and more. Your child’s team of specialists collaborate to deliver care that’s right for your child.
Support for your child and family: Family plays an important role in a child’s care plan. And the more you know, the better you can care for your child. Our care team provides the information you need to help you manage your child’s care at home. Having a child with epilepsy or seizures can require additional care and support. And, our hospital rehabilitation services offer supportive pediatric therapy, such as music therapy, when your child is receiving epilepsy monitoring.
Epilepsy monitoring at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital
Electroencephalogram (EEG) testing is offered to help diagnose and monitor your child’s brain activity. Your child’s neurologist at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital can also read and interpret EEG recordings from referring doctors throughout Indiana. EEG epilepsy monitoring is also offered in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
If your child is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go directly to the ER or call 911.