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Website Offers Support For Parents of Epileptic Children

Link: Epilepsy and My Child If you have a child with epilepsy, this website is for you. Whether your child was just diagnosed, or you have specific concerns about medications, getting support at school, or another issue, our goal is to provide the information you need.

epilepsyfoundation.org: Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California

Link: epilepsyfoundation.org
The Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders: A Resource Guide for Parents was developed by parents and professionals to help parents of children with epilepsy and/or a seizure disorder better understand their child’s condition.  This 48-page guide is divided into 4 sections: Understanding Epilepsy and/or Seizure Disorders, Health Care for my Child: Access to Care/Access to Services, Advocacy and Support, and Forms and Tools.  The Spanish translation of this guide will be available in January 2008.

Legal Rights of Children with Epilepsy in School & Child Care

Link: Epilepsy Care
An electronic manual for anyone dealing with issues concerning the care of a child with Epilepsy.

Ketogenic Diet Helps Reduce Seizures

Link: Diet

A diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates curtails seizures in those suffering from epilepsy, according to new research.

Scientists Identify Gene that Causes Rare Form of Epilepsy

Link: Gene

A mutant gene causes epilepsy and delayed development in girls, while boys are not affected, according to new Australian research published Monday in the journal Nature Genetics. The research may help scientists better understand more common forms of epilepsy and mental retardation, the researchers said.

FDA: Epilepsy Drugs May Elevate Suicide Risk

Link: FDA

Common anti-epileptic drugs may increase the risk of suicide, according to an FDA review of 11 drugs. Patients using the drugs were twice as likely to have suicidal behavior as those who took a placebo.

Iowa Researchers Find New Method to Stop Seizures

Link: Seizures

Although it is too early to be tested in people, University of Iowa researchers have found a way to shut down seizures in the brain, according to their findings published online Sunday in Nature Neuroscience. "It will take more work to turn the finding into a new therapeutic approach," said senior study author Dr. John Wemmie, a University of Iowa assistant professor of psychiatry. "We will be working with colleagues in neurology and neurosurgery to try and translate the findings to treatments."

Preventable Diseases Striking Poor Children in U.S.

Link: Disease

Preventable infectious diseases that cause developmental disabilities, heart disease and epilepsy are striking poor women and children in the U.S. but may go unrecognized by doctors, according to a new report. "If you have these infections as a kid, if you're anemic, your ability to learn when you go to school is affected. If you have these infections on a chronic basis, they can affect your ability to become a productive adult," said Carlos Franco-Paredes of Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health.

FDA Probes Suicide Risk for Those Using Epilepsy Drugs

Link: Suicide

After an analysis that indicates some epilepsy treatments may increase the risk of suicidal behavior, the Food and Drug Administration held a closed meeting Monday with drug manufacturers to discuss adding a warning label to such medications. Some drug officials said the research might be flawed because it combines findings about 11 available epilepsy drugs, which are not necessarily alike.

BizJournals.com: Arizona youth becomes national epilepsy spokesperson

Link: Pheonix Business Journal

C.J. Soeby of Buckeye will travel to Washington on April 1 to meet with congressional leaders and gain their support for restoration of the Americans with Disabilities Act, epilepsy public health programs and more research toward a cure for epilepsy.

The 10-year-old boy is one of 50 young people with epilepsy participating in Kids Speak Up, a national program coordinated by the Epilepsy Foundation with support from Abbott. The program rallies ambassadors between the ages of 7 and 16 with epilepsy to advocate for the more than 3 million Americans living with the condition.

This year's participants represent a diverse group ranging from those with controlled seizures to those who are massively affected by epilepsy.