DOES THE NUMBER OF SEIZURES BEFORE TREATMENT INFLUENCE EASE OF CONTROL OR REMISSION OF CHILDHOOD EPILEPSY - NOT IF THE NUMBER IS 10 OR LESS

Using a population-based regional cohort of 479 children with epilepsy , we studied the effect of the number of pretreatment afebrile seizure s on seizure control and remission. The number of pretreatment seizure s varied from 1 to 20. For the first 10 pretreatment seizures, there w as no significant difference or trend in (1) the proportion of childre n who were seizure free long enough to attempt stopping medication (me an, 70%), (2) the number of breakthrough seizures before control was a chieved, or (3) the proportion of children who were seizure free after stopping medication for the first time (mean, 70%). More patients wit h more than 10 pretreatment seizures had complex partial seizures (59% ) than those with 10 or fewer seizures (16%) (p < 0.00001). We conclud e that there does not appear to be any penalty for seizure control or early remission of epilepsy if medication is delayed for up to 10 pret reatment seizures.