What causes convulsions

What are the causes of pediatric convulsions, also known as mini convulsions? The susceptibility of children to convulsions is determined by the specific anatomical and physiological characteristics of this particular lunchtime stage, and there are several physiological causes and multiple etiologies that can lead to pediatric convulsions.

Physiological causes

Immature brain development

The brain of infants and young children is immature, the differentiation of cortical nerve cells is incomplete, so the analysis and identification of the cortex and the inhibition function are poor; and because the dendrites of neurons are not fully developed, the nerves of axons are not fully formed, and the excitatory impulses are easily generalized. The chemical composition of infant brain tissue, such as the distribution of lipids, aminoglycans, water-electrolytes, and enzyme activity, is different from that of mature brain tissue; the dynamic balance of excitatory and inhibitory neuromediators varies with age.

Pediatric diseases

Certain diseases that cause convulsions, such as birth injuries, malformations of brain development, congenital metabolic abnormalities, febrile convulsions, and vitamin deficiencies, are specific to the pediatric period or have a much higher incidence than in adults.

Low immunity

Low immune function predisposes to acute infections and central nervous system infections. The poor blood-brain barrier function in pediatric patients makes it easy for various toxins to enter brain tissue, and the oxygen consumption of pediatric brain tissue is also relatively high.

Etiology

Diseases of the brain

(1) Intracranial infections: encephalitis, meningitis, brain abscess, brain tuberculoma, cerebral poliomyelitis, etc. (2)Traumatic brain injury: birth injury, various types of craniocerebral trauma, hydrocephalus, subdural or epidural hematoma, post-traumatic fatigue scar, etc. (3) Cranial tumors: primary brain tumors, brain metastases. (4) Vascular diseases: cerebrovascular malformation, cerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, hypertensive encephalopathy, cerebral embolism, cerebral thrombosis, cerebral hypoxia, cerebral vasculitis, cerebral arteriosclerosis, etc. (5) Parasitic diseases: cerebral malaria, intracerebral schistosomiasis, pulmonary schistosomiasis, cerebral encysticercosis, cerebral cysticercosis, etc. (6) Brain congenital and degenerative diseases: (1) congenital brain dysgenesis, cerebral hypoplasia, hydrocephalus, cerebral-facial trigeminal hemangioma; (2) brain degeneration of unknown cause, tuberous sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, diffuse sclerosis, nuclear xanthogranuloma.

Systemic diseases

Infections: acute gastroenteritis, toxic dysentery, septicemia, pertussis encephalopathy, otitis media, rabies, tetanus, etc. Poisoning: ① endogenous poisoning, such as uremia, hepatic encephalopathy; ② exogenous poisoning, such as sleeping pills, ethanol, arsenic, mercury, chlorowa, camphor, atropine, organophosphorus, cyanide, zinc phosphide, carbon monoxide, morphine and other poisoning. Metabolic, nutritional and endocrine diseases: hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, disorders of water-electrolyte and acid-base balance, uremia, hepatic lung disease, pulmonary encephalopathy, diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperthyroidism, neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy, etc. Physical injury: severe pyrexia and heliotropic disease, electrocution, etc.

Other causes

Such as sudden withdrawal of sleeping pills or antiepileptic drugs. In addition, there is an important type of convulsions, namely pediatric convulsions (partly idiopathic and partly due to brain damage), and febrile convulsions are mostly seen in pediatric patients. Neuroleptic convulsions, such as hysterical convulsions.