
Age of onset ranges from 3 to 13 years, with a peak at 6 to 7 years 3). Similar figures were found in the USA (Connecticut) and in Europe-based (Scandinavia, France) population studies. Prevalence is 5 to 50/100,000 people in the general population. Annual incidence has been estimated at 0.7 to 4.6/100,000 people in the general population, and 6 to 8/100,000 in children aged 0 to 15 years 2). Many children outgrow absence seizures in their teens.Ībout 10% of seizures in children with epilepsy are typical absence seizures. Some children who have them also develop other seizures. They’re more common in children than in adults.

This differentiation into typical versus atypical seizures is important, as the natural history and response to treatment vary between the two groups.Ībsence seizures may occur alone or may coexist with other types of seizures in a child with other epileptic syndromes. Alternatively, typical absence seizures may coexist in children with other epileptic syndromes - such as juvenile myoclonic epilepsy or juvenile absence epilepsy, in which other seizure types are also present. If this is the case, and the child is of normal development and has no structural lesions, the child is said to have childhood absence epilepsy. Typical absence seizures may be the sole seizure type experienced by a child. Typical absence seizures should not be confused with atypical absence seizures - which differ markedly in EEG findings and ictal behaviour, and usually present with other seizure types in a child with a background of learning disability and severe epilepsy. However, the abrupt ending of typical absence seizures, without a postictcal phase, is the most useful clinical feature in distinguishing the two types. Typical absence seizures are often confused with complex partial seizures - especially in cases of prolonged seizure with automatisms. Absence seizure was previously known as ‘petit mal seizure’. Absence seizures are characterized by sudden, brief (lasting a few seconds), frequent periods of unconsciousness, which may be accompanied by automatic movements (simple automatisms or clonic, atonic, or autonomic components) 1).
