A GENERAL-HOSPITAL POPULATION OF CHILDHOOD EPILEPSY

In a general hospital population of 74 000 children under the age of 1 6 years in southern Stockholm, 79 children were started on antiepilept ic drugs due to epilepsy during the 2 year period 1990-92. The mean an nual incidence of childhood epilepsy in this area was 53 per 100 000 c hildren younger than 16 years. Neurological impairments were identifie d in 35% of the children. The epilepsy diagnoses were set according to the International Classification System proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy. Partial seizures were seen in 52% of the chi ldren. The syndrome BECT was identified in 11%. The epilepsy was sympt omatic in 30%, and therapy-resistant in 23%.