UKIST has joined over 25 other international charities to spread the word about infantile spasms during Infantile Spasms Awareness Week 2018.
Infantile spasms are a medical emergency which can cause catastrophic damage to a child’s brain if they aren’t treated, but many parents are unaware of the signs to look out for, so the charities come together every year for IS Awareness Week to help educate the public and professionals.
One of the key messages each year in the awareness week is the STOP slogan, which urges parents worried about infantile spasms to take them seriously, and take action.
S – See the signs: Clusters of sudden, repeated, uncontrolled movements like head bobs or body crunching.
T – Take a video: Record the symptoms and talk to your doctor immediately.
O– Obtain diagnosis: Confirm an irregular brain wave pattern with an EEG test.
P– Prioritize treatment: End spasms to minimize developmental delays
UKIST also launched a new information video for the awareness week, which reached over 130,000 people on Facebook in its first three days – find it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU6qNLOlU_A
