Abstract
Benign infantile convulsions (BIC) are characterized by: (1) onset at up to 2 years
of age, (2) normal development, (3) mostly brief, often clustered convulsions, and
(4) normal electroencephalography during the interictal stage. BIC follow a favorable
course and disappear before 2–3 years of age, although convulsions for which diazepam
is ineffective frequently develop. We treated 15 children (3–16 months of age) diagnosed
as having BIC, excluding convulsions associated with mild gastroenteritis, with a
once-daily dose of 5 mg/kg of carbamazepine until up to 2 or 3 years of age. The serum concentration of
carbamazepine was as low as below the effective range in six patients, but the treatment
was dramatically effective in all the BIC children. Seizures did not recur in any
patients during oral administration of carbamazepine. The treatment was finished in
12 patients at age 2 years, two at age 3 years, and one at 16 months-old. Therefore,
we recommend the administration of a once-daily dose of 5 mg/kg of carbamazepine until up to 2 or 3 years of age as a treatment for BIC.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
January 31,
2005
Received in revised form:
January 11,
2005
Received:
November 5,
2004
Identification
Copyright
© 2005 Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
