Episode #69 - Infantile Spasms: Awareness, Observation, and Intervention featuring Lissy Griffin

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Being a new parent is hard, especially when it’s your first child. Nothing prepares you for those first months of parenting. Everything is an unknown and you’re sleep deprived, which can lead to nagging self-doubts. It can be difficult to know what’s typical, and what’s a red flag to consult a doctor.

Lissy Griffin’s daughter Madison was  a perfectly healthy baby. When she was six-months-old, a daycare teacher’s observation of Madison making a strange movement led Lissy to consult her pediatrician. She was told not to worry, the movement was likely a startle reflex. However, Lissy did not feel comforted or relieved. With the frequency of the movement increasing and her daughter showing signs of distress, Lissy took Madison to a hospital emergency room where she was eventually diagnosed with infantile spasms (or I.S.), a rare, but potentially devastating neurological condition presenting in small, subtle seizures. On this episode of Seizing Life, Lissy recounts her daughter’s onset, diagnosis and ACTH steroid treatment for infantile spasms. She also explains why early detection and treatment are so important, where to find infantile spasms support groups, and how awareness and education among parents, caregivers, and doctors can result in positive outcomes for infants with I.S.

CURE Epilepsy has been at the forefront of infantile spasms research, and we encourage new parents and their families to watch this episode and familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms of IS.

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    Infantile Spasms: Awareness, Observation, and Intervention