Seizure impact on the school attendance in children with epilepsy

Rationale: Epilepsy has a significant influence on the patient's quality of Life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of ongoing seizures on school attendance amongst children with epilepsy. Methods: This was a prospective study, conducted at the University of Campinas, in the pediatric epilepsy clinic, from January 2005 to August 2006. We enrolled 50 consecutive children who had a diagnosis of epilepsy. Parents were interviewed by one of the authors using a semi-structured questionnaire that included questions specifically addressing the impact of epilepsy on the child's academic life. Results: Fifty patients were evaluated, 34 boys and 16 girls; ages ranged from 6 to 18 years old (mean = 11). Eighty-eight percent of patients in the study missed at least 1 day of school due to seizures. The reason given by parents for a school absence was seizure in 75%, medical appointment in 79.5%, epilepsy related tests (EEG, MRI, etc.) in 68.2%, and other in 0.03%. Almost half of the parents (46%) believed that if the child had a seizure at school he/she should leave school immediately. Sixty percent of families allowed the child to skip a school day even if there was no illness and the child had no seizures on that day. Among those patients with siblings, 12.5% had a brother or sister who was absent from school for at least 1 day due to his/her sibling's epilepsy. Conclusion: Seizures have a significant impact on school attendance, and as a result may increase the academic difficulties faced by children with epilepsy. This effect may be especially pronounced in children with symptomatic epilepsy and medically intractable seizures. (c) 2007 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.16869870