Each year on December 1-7, a coalition of organizations (including CURE Epilepsy) recognize Infantile Spasms Awareness Week, a critical opportunity to raise awareness and educate the public about infantile spasms (IS).
Don’t forget about Infantile Spasms Awareness Week, add it to your calendar now!
What is Infantile Spasms?
Infantile spasms is a rare and particularly severe epilepsy syndrome that typically begins within the first year of life. Infantile spasms is characterized by subtle seizures which can have large neurological effects, potentially leading to developmental delays and cognitive and physical deterioration.
Sadly, many primary care doctors and parents are not familiar with the signs and symptoms of infantile spasms. So, many children with infantile spasms do not receive treatment during the critical window within the weeks and months after the emergence of symptoms.
That’s why it’s critical for everyone to know the signs to STOP Infantile Spasms.
Infantile Spasms is a medical emergency
Prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical, but this is challenging because infantile spasms can be mistaken for normal baby movements or other disorders that don’t demand urgency.
Watch this 2-minute video to learn what infantile spasms look like — it could save your child’s life.
Source: Infantile Spasms Action Network video, produced by the Child Neurology Foundation
CURE Epilepsy’s Infantile Spasms Initiative
Since 2011, CURE Epilepsy has funded cutting-edge infantile spasms research. The CURE Epilepsy Infantile Spasms Initiative generated 19 publications to date, seven additional manuscripts in preparation, three federal grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and even a patent, published in October 2018. Additionally, research that resulted from the CURE Epilepsy Infantile Spasms Initiative is putting us that much closer to a treatment for IS.
Infantile Spasms Resources
Infantile Spasms Stories
Other Awareness Days
Check out some of the other awareness days on the epilepsy community calendar.
Make a difference today
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Every 12 minutes, a baby is diagnosed with IS somewhere in the world.
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For 13 years, CURE Epilepsy has funded cutting-edge Infantile Spasms research