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Getting an EEG next week, help!

nfrtnynfrtny member
in Special Needs
I am freaking out. My 2.5 year old with sensory issues and language delay (possibly autistic, evaluation is in March) is getting an EEG next week, and I have no idea how we are going to get through it. The paper says "awake and drowsy", but seriously? My child is not going to be drowsy in a hospital. He is going to be freaking out! I also don't know how I'm going to get him to stay still for it. I think it's an hour long. Anyone have any tips?
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Re: Getting an EEG next week, help!

  • kcisthebombdotcomkcisthebombdotcom member
    edited December 2013
    My daughter fits the same profile--2.5, language delays, sensory issues, possible autism. We did an EEG at 2y3m and it was not bad at all. It was scheduled for 1pm which was two hours after nap time. Dh took the day off work and we took dd out for a morning of fun with lots of exercise to wear her out. We kept her awake with the iPad and let her have it while they put the leads on. There was a full sized bed so I lied with her and rubbed her back until she crashed. Easy peasy.
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  • nfrtnynfrtny member
    I scheduled the appointment at 9:30.. The front desk made it for me, and honestly after 3 hours at the developmental pedi's office, my brain was fried. He usually wakes up at 6, and naps at 1 or 2. He has a hard time falling asleep, and will not fall asleep in unfamiliar places. My thought was that it will be easier to get the leads on if he is not cranky, but if he doesn't fall asleep will they not be able to do it? I'm sure I can reschedule if need be.
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  • kcisthebombdotcomkcisthebombdotcom member
    edited December 2013
    nfrtny said:
    I scheduled the appointment at 9:30.. The front desk made it for me, and honestly after 3 hours at the developmental pedi's office, my brain was fried. He usually wakes up at 6, and naps at 1 or 2. He has a hard time falling asleep, and will not fall asleep in unfamiliar places. My thought was that it will be easier to get the leads on if he is not cranky, but if he doesn't fall asleep will they not be able to do it? I'm sure I can reschedule if need be.

    I would switch it otherwise you will likely have to wake your kid up in the MOTN and keep him up. Sounds like a nightmare. They can technically do it while awake but if your kiddo has seizure activity in his sleep like mine did, they would miss catching it.
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  • realisticdreamsrealisticdreams member
    Not every child will fall asleep, especially at 2.5.  DD1 fell asleep when she was a 5 month old baby, with a bottle, but not a 3yo child.  Neither did DD2 last year.  Also if they don't cooperate to put leads on, they will likely wrap them in a blanket like a papoose which is kind of awful, but you need to weigh how badly you NEED this test vs the childs temporary unhappiness.  

    They usually say sleep deprived, and the child isn't supposed to sleep that night or you're supposed to wake them up X amount of hours early (we had a different protocol for all 3)

    Good luck...I loathe the sleep deprivation with that test!
    DD1(4):VSD & PFO (Closed!), Prenatal stroke, Mild CP, Delayed pyloric opening/reflux, Brachycephaly & Plagiocephaly, Sacral lipoma, Tethered spinal cord, Compound heterozygous MTHFR, Neurogenic bladder, Urinary retention & dyssynergia, incomplete emptying, enlarged Bladder with Poor Muscle Tone, EDS-Type 3. Mito-Disorder has been mentioned

    DD2(2.5): Late term premie due to PTL, low fluid & IUGR, Reflux, delayed visual maturation, compound heteroygous MTHFR, PFAPA, Bilateral kidney reflux, Transient hypogammaglobulinemia, EDS-Type 3


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  • mightmom13mightmom13 member
    realisticdreams said:
    Not every child will fall asleep, especially at 2.5.  DD1 fell asleep when she was a 5 month old baby, with a bottle, but not a 3yo child.  Neither did DD2 last year.  Also if they don't cooperate to put leads on, they will likely wrap them in a blanket like a papoose which is kind of awful, but you need to weigh how badly you NEED this test vs the childs temporary unhappiness.  


    DD almost 2.5 y/o just had an EEG awake and it was for about an hour - this was scheduled the after we saw the pedi neuro so I guess sleep deprivation wasn't a big thing. I can see where capturing sleep seizures could be helpful. DD is major SPD (especially to anyone/thing touching her) so I won't lie - the techs wrapped her in a sheet and I and another tech held her down while she was screaming and crying as it took about 20 minutes to get the leads on. Just trying to prepare you - if it seems like distraction isn't going to work when they start - be prepared to just get through it.

    Even though she was screaming she knew she was ok and repeated that back to me, that she was ok. I then just rocked her during the actual monitoring in chair. She had no noted events which I wasn't surprised because she was so worked up but I was hoping she would fall asleep so they could capture any sleeping activity or what happens when she has sleep tremors.

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  • heedy07heedy07 member
    My 2 y/o son had both a 1 hour EEG and a 24 hour EEG. The 1 hour wasn't that bad...the 24 hour was LONG. That said, the nurses helped us get through it and we survived. We watched lots of TV and played with lots of different toys in his bed.
    K, born 05/06/10 B, born with a few surprises 07/20/11  

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  • Shayna0182Shayna0182 member
    While I'm not a seizure mom, I was a seizure kid. I had childhood epilepsy from the ages of 3 to 13. That included petit mal and grand mal seizures. I started out taking Phenobarbital and moved on to Dilantin. That being said, I've had EEGs and I can honestly say I barely remember them. I do remember having to drink something but after that I don't remember much.

    Try not to worry too much. Believe me when I say, your child won't remember too much, and I'm going to guess the EEG experience is much better now than it was in 1985.
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  • nfrtnynfrtny member
    They will probably have to wrap him up then. Maybe he will get exhausted from throwing a fit? Good to know he won't remember it though :)
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