Kids with H1N1 Flue Suffer Seizures

Children who were ill in 2009 by H1N1 swine flu suffered more seizures and nervous system problems than those with seasonal flu according to new report. According to a study published in journal Annals of neurology, neurological complications in 303 children who were admitted to the hospital with H1N1 and those with seasonal flu were compared.

Among 303 kids with H1N1, 18 had nerve related conditions and experienced neurological complications. Seizures and a brain disorder (encephalopathy) which can range form mild to serious and fatal  were the most common symptoms of neurologic symptoms.

More than half of the children arrived at the hospital with seizures in a life threatening state, in this condition the seizure activity occurs continuously for more than five to 30 minutes. Among 234 children with season flu, 16 suffered neurological complications. “We found that more pediatric H1N1 patients had neurological deficits and required ongoing treatment with anti-epileptic medications upon discharge from the hospital,” study author Dr. Josh Bonkowsky noted in a news release from the journal’s publisher.