If My Child Has One Seizure, Is He/She Likely To Continue Having Them?

Oct. 23, 2008 -- Question: If my child has one seizure, is he/she likely to continue having them?

Answer: So if a child has one seizure, there is approximately a 50 percent likelihood that they will go on to have a second seizure. Once a child has had two or more seizures, they're diagnosed with epilepsy. And epilepsy is a chronic condition in which the brain discharges abnormal electrical activity. And if you suspect that your child may have seizures, it's important to see a pediatric neurologist and have an EEG, or electroencephalogram done to evaluate this. A CT or MRI scan may also be performed to rule out malformation of the brain or any brain tumor.