Epilepsy
Seizure Safety
General Household
- Eliminate furniture with pointed corners and glass tops (cushion corners if necessary).
- Install carpeting with cushioning underneath.
- Limit child from climbing stairs and childproof the stairway area during periods of seizure activity (or until seizures are well controlled).
Bedroom
- Avoid thick fluffy comforters, multiple pillows, and stuffed animals in the bed when sleeping. Instead dress child in warm pajamas with a light blanket and one pillow (for children older than two years).
- Audio and/or video baby monitors can be helpful for detecting and responding to seizures at night.
Bathroom
- Avoid baths and encourage your older child to notify you before he/she enters the shower.
- Monitor your child when he/she is taking a shower (leave door open or use an audio monitor).
- For a younger child, supervise at all times while in bathtub or shower.
- Drain the bathtub immediately after use and ensure that tubs/showers drain rapidly and fully.
- Install handrails in bathtub/shower to hold if there is a warning that a seizure may occur.
- Place padded carpet on floor and toilet tank. Pad corners of ceramic sink if sharp edges.
- Cover heating pipes/radiators.
Kitchen
- Use and teach your child safe practices while cooking (keeping hot items at the back of the stove, turning handles toward the back of the stove, and putting sharp objects away immediately).
Outside
- Direct supervision for swimming with an adult within arm's reach in the pool.
- Climbing should be limited and closely supervised. Typically, we recommend that the child does not climb beyond double his/her height (if your child is 3 feet tall, this would mean no climbing above 6 feet).
- Helmets should be worn for bicycle riding, skiing, and contact sports.
- Encourage your child to stand back from the tracks when traveling by subway or train.
Based on your child's response to treatment, seizure frequency, and seizure type, guidelines for seizure safety may vary. We encourage you to discuss individualized safety precautions with your child's physician.
