Seizure Monitoring Devices for Children
Helping families explore options for support, safety, and peace of mind.
Why is this important?
Nighttime can feel overwhelming when caring for a child with epilepsy?
Families often worry about missing seizures or not knowing when to help their child. Seizure monitoring devices are tools that may provide reassurance, help families feel safer, and feel more supported.
What does a monitoring device do?
- Alert caregivers during a seizure.
- Help track important signs like breathing or movement.
- Help prevent injuring by allowing early response times.
- Track seizures overtime to share with your healthcare provider.
- Provide peace of mind and promote independence.
What families have told us?
- Many parents used everyday tools like cameras or baby monitors to monitor their child's seizures
- Families want more information from healthcare providers about approved devices.
- Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) awareness often motivates families to consider monitoring using devices.
- False alarms are common but many parents accept them if it helps with safety.
From our study with caregivers:
- More than one third had tried monitoring devices, though most were not suggested by their doctor.
- Families often relied on cameras or baby monitors to monitor their child's seizures.
- Awareness of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) was a major reason for why families chose to monitor with devices.
- Many parents accepted false alarms if it helped them feel their child was safe.
- Over 80% of families without devices wanted to try device-based seizure monitoring.
Tips for choosing a device:
Please see below for a sample resource of devices that are available or can be used to help monitor your child's seizures. Please note that most devices are not approved by Health Canada for seizure monitoring, but some are seen to help monitor symptoms that are often associated with specific seizures.
When considering device-based monitoring, it may be helpful to consider what your child’s seizures look like (e.g. type of seizure, movement patterns, breathing changes) as different devices may work better for different seizure types:
- With strong body movements (big seizures) -> cameras, SAMi, Embrace devices, etc.
- Without strong body movements (e.g. absence) -> vital sign monitors, pulse oximeters, etc.
- Any seizure type -> smart watches, seizure apps
Please consult your healthcare provider(s) to see which devices are available and suitable for your child.
