Can Having a Seizure While Pregnant Hurt the Baby

You can now be certified in Seizure First Aid!

About the Seizure First Aid Certification Training

The 90-minute Seizure Recognition and First Aid Certification is a formal training offered by the Epilepsy Foundation that teaches people:

How to recognize signs of a seizure
How to respond with proper seizure first aid
When to call for help.

Upcoming Training Dates for Live Instructor Led Webinars:

November 23, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. ET
November 30, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. ET
December 9, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. ET - Live instruction in Spanish
Register for the webinar in Spanish

You will be directed to the Epilepsy Learning Portal where you can create an account and get started on your way to becoming Seizure First Aid Certified.

Many local Epilepsy Foundation's offer local Seizure First Aid Certification Trainings.

Why Is Seizure First Aid Important?

Knowing how to help someone during a seizure can make a difference and save a life. While there are many different types of seizures, during many of them a person may be confused, not aware of what is going on, or unconscious. A person could get hurt during a seizure or a seizure could last too long, or the seizures could cluster.

Who Should Be Seizure First Aid Certified?

While everyone should know basic seizure first aid, becoming Seizure First Aid Certified takes you further. You will learn about both epilepsy and seizures including how to recognize signs of a seizure and how to use basic first aid steps and when emergency medical help is be necessary.

Seizure First Aid Certification is designed for people who:

Have a family member, loved one, or friend with seizures.
Have a job where you provide care for people with seizures.
Have a job where you work with the public or work with someone who has seizures.
Coach or lead groups.

How Long Does the Certification Last?

The certification lasts 2 years. You will be sent an email to recertify every 2 years with a shorter online class.

Are Continuing Education Units Available?

The Epilepsy Foundation is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive up to 1.5 total Category I contact education contact hours. Maximum advanced-level continuing education contact hours available are 0. Provider ID#: 121739.

This program is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award under cooperative agreement number 1NU58DP006256-04-00, CFDA 93.850, funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

For additional information please contact the Epilepsy Foundation Public Health and Education Team at programs@efa.org.

Get Seizure First Aid Ready in Just 30 Minutes!

The Seizure First Aid Ready On Demand training is now available! This is a great resource that educates the public on the Epilepsy Foundation's basic procedures for responding to someone having a seizure. The Seizure First Aid Ready course, available online anywhere and at any time, is presented in an interactive eLearning format that includes animations, videos, and activities.

After completing the course, participants will be able to recognize common seizures, identify correct and incorrect steps for helping a person having a seizure, and identify when it would be necessary to call 911 in the event of a seizure.

Who Can Take the Course?

The Seizure First Aid Ready course is designed for people who:

Want to learn the basics of seizure first aid
Have a job where they interact with the public
Work with someone who has seizures
Are coaches or lead groups
Work, play, or live in areas or settings where seizures could occur

Participants who successfully complete the training will receive a certificate of completion. This is not a certification course.

Take the Seizure First Aid Ready Course

General First Aid for All Seizure Types

The first line of response when a person has a seizure is to provide general care and comfort and keep the person safe. The information here relates to all types of seizures. Find specific steps for responding to different seizure types here.

Remember

For most seizures, basic seizure first aid is all that is needed. The steps are simple - Stay. Safe. Side - anyone can do them.

Seizure First Aid is Stay Safe Side

Click image to download
English poster

Download the Seizure First Aid Poster

Poster in Simplified Chinese

STAY with the person and start timing the seizure.

Remain calm – it will help others stay calm too. Talk calmly and reassuringly to the person during and after the seizure – it will help as they recover from the seizure.
Check for medical ID.
Look at your watch and time the seizure from beginning to the end of the active seizure.
Timing the seizure will help you determine if emergency help is needed.
While most seizures only last a few minutes, seizures can be unpredictable. Some may start with minor symptoms but lead to loss of consciousness or a fall that could cause injury. Other seizures may end in seconds.

Keep the person SAFE.

Move or guide away from harmful or sharp objects.
If a person is wandering or confused, help steer them clear of dangerous situations. For example, gently guide them away from traffic, train or subway platforms, heights, or sharp objects.
Encourage people to step back and give the person some room. Waking up to a crowd can be embarrassing and confusing for a person after a seizure.
Ask someone to stay nearby in case further help is needed.

Turn the person onto their SIDE if they are not awake and aware.

Make the person as comfortable as possible.
Loosen tight clothes around neck.
If they are aware, help them sit down in a safe place.
If they are at risk of falling or having a convulsive seizure or tonic-clonic seizure:
- Lay them down on the floor.
- Put something small and soft under the head.
- Turn them on their side with their mouth pointing toward the ground. This prevents saliva from blocking their airway and helps the person breathe more easily.
During a convulsion, it may look like the person has stopped breathing. This happens when the chest muscles tighten during the tonic phase of a seizure. As this part of a seizure ends, the muscles will relax and breathing will resume normally.
- Rescue breathing is generally not needed during these seizure-induced changes in a person's breathing.

Do NOT put any objects in their mouth.

Don't put any objects like a spoon, stick or wallet into a person's mouth.
- Don't worry – a person can't swallow their tongue during a seizure.
- Jaw and face muscles may tighten during a seizure, causing the person to bite down. If this happens when something is in the mouth, the person may break and swallow the object or break their teeth!
Rescue medicines that are placed inside the cheek can be given if recommended by their health care team.
Don't give water, pills or food to swallow until the person is awake. Food, liquid or pills could go into the lungs instead of the stomach if they try to drink or eat when not fully aware.

Do NOT restrain.

Trying to stop movements or forcibly hold person down doesn't stop a seizure.
Restraining a person can lead to injuries and make the person more confused, agitated, or aggressive. People don't fight on purpose during a seizure. Yet if they are restrained when they are confused, they may respond aggressively.
If a person tries to walk around, let them walk in a safe, enclosed area if possible.

STAY with them until they are awake and alert after the seizure.

Most seizures end in a few minutes.
Injury can occur during or after a seizure, requiring help from other people.
If a person appears to be choking, turn them on their side and call for help. If they are not able to cough and clear their air passages on their own or are having breathing difficulties, call 911 immediately.
Be sensitive and supportive. Ask others to do the same.
- Seizures can be frightening for the person having one, as well as for others. People may feel embarrassed or confused about what happened. Keep this in mind as the person wakes up.
- Reassure the person that they are safe.
- Once they are alert and able to communicate, tell them what happened in very simple terms.
- Offer to stay with the person until they are ready to go back to normal activity or call someone to stay with them.

When to Call 911

Seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes
Repeated seizures
Difficulty breathing
Seizure occurs in water
Person is injured, pregnant, or sick
Person does not return to their usual state
First time seizure
The person asks for medical help

Learn More

Responding to Seizure Emergencies
Using Rescue Treatments

Visit Our Online Store

We also have posters, pamphlets, bookmarks, and more on seizure first aid in our online store. Many are available in both English and Spanish and through digital download.

Get the tools you need to raise awareness about seizure first aid.

on:

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Can Having a Seizure While Pregnant Hurt the Baby

Source: https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/seizure-first-aid-and-safety/first-aid-seizures-stay-safe-side