Breathing monitors for epilepsy?

My daughter was just diagnosed with epilepsy last week. She has had 3 grand mal seizures and the last one she stopped breathing for a long time. Now I'm scared that she will get one at night and I won't know and she'll stop breathing again. We are going to get a video monitor, but is there any alarm or something that would let me know if my daughter stops breathing during a seizure? She is almost 2. Thanks!

I am sorry that you are going through this, please do not become too afraid, I work with this situation every day and can assure you that although what you are going through is frightening it is almost never fatal. Here is a five point strategy for your situation.

Step 1: Contact your local Epilepsy Foundation, the have access to the best and most current information as well as support groups for parents in your situation.

Step 2: Ask your Dr. about Diastat. This is a medicine that is administered rectally and stops ongoing seizures in there tracks

Step 3: Contact your local children's hospital and ask about a SIDS monitor, I have never heard of an effective seizure monitor for the home

Step 4:Learn about a condition called Status Epilepticus. This is a seizure related situation in which the seizure just does not come to an end

Step 5: Realize that tonic clonic (formerly known as "Grand Mal") seizures are much more traumatic to look at than to experience. I have had them for years , trust me when I tell you that although I may look like I am going through hell, I am basically asleep.

Good luck.

You can most likely get an at home heart rate machine from her doctor... The heart rate lowers alot when people stop breathing, Just express your concern to her doctor and he should give you satisfying results.

~Thomas