Pediatric epilepsy: Helping kids live active, healthy, happy lives

Our adult and pediatric epilepsy services earned the highest rating from the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC). As a Level 4 Epilepsy Center, we provide the highest level of medical and surgical evaluation and care for you.

Our services include:

• Evaluation for epilepsy surgery

• Medical treatment

• Neurodiagnostic monitoring

• Neuropsychological treatment

• Psychosocial treatment

The NAEC recommends treatment at a Level 4 epilepsy center when:

• Your seizures are not under control after three months of care from a primary care doctor

• Your seizures are not under control after 12 months of care with a general neurologist

Advancing epilepsy care through research

Our epilepsy doctors and scientists work to improve epilepsy care for you. We study the causes of epilepsy and test new treatments. Learn more

The UW Health Kids pediatric epilepsy team includes experts in epilepsy, neurology, neuropsychology, neuroradiology, neurosurgery and nutrition.

A seizure is an "electrical storm" in the brain, and epilepsy is a condition where children continue to have seizures. Not every seizure is a sign of epilepsy. Some seizures are due to a passing cause, such as a fever or low blood sugar, and some seizures have no obvious cause.

There are many causes of epilepsy. These include brain injuries, brain tumors, changes in the body’s instructions for making the brain (genetic changes), infections and autoimmune conditions. If you child has a seizure, they might have tests to determine if they have epilepsy. If your child is diagnosed with epilepsy, their doctor usually will prescribe anti-seizure medicine.

A range of care options

Many children diagnosed with epilepsy outgrow their condition. Others need treatment. Epilepsy treatments include:

• Anti-seizure medicines

• Medicine trials, to find the right medicine or the right combination of medicines

If your child does not respond to anti-seizure medicines, there are other treatment options, including:

• Epilepsy monitoring unit to evaluate your child’s seizures

• Ketogenic diet

• Vagus nerve stimulation

If surgery is recommended, your child will have extensive testing first. This can include:

• Comprehensive epilepsy surgery pre-evaluation

• Intracranial EEG

• ROSA (robotic stereotactic assistance)

Meet our patients

We offer specialized epilepsy care at our clinic in Madison, Wis.