Patient discussions
It is important that all family members, carers, and babysitters are aware that the child has a seizure disorder. During a cluster of spasms, the parents should be advised to remain calm and not to put any objects into the child's mouth.
Parents should be informed that other seizure types may also occur.
The family should be informed of all potential adverse effects of therapy.
Live attenuated vaccines are contraindicated in patients receiving adrenocorticotrophic hormone/corticosteroid therapy until 3 months after treatment has been stopped. These include the oral polio, MMR, and varicella vaccines. It is recommended that acellular pertussis be used. The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on infantile spasms recommends testing whether the child has antibodies to the varicella zoster virus.[26]
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