ASSESSING RISKS AND BENEFITS AFTER A SEIZURE: DECISIONS ABOUT EVERYDAY LIFE
We have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of raising your child in a padded cell. Once you allow your child out you will have to assess the risks and benefits of most of his daily activities. For example:”Can my child still ride his bike?”To help you assess the answer, we would have to ask, “How old is the child?” “How frequently does he have seizures?” “Does he have a warning of the seizure?” “How reliably would he respond to that warning?” “How much does he ride his bike?” “How important is bike riding to him?”You would have to assess how great are the chances of his being injured on the bike. There are substantial risks to any child of being injured while bike riding. Are they much greater now? Thinking carefully about your answers to these questions will enable you to be protective, but not overprotective. Perhaps you can be appropriately protective by insisting that he wear his helmet that has been sitting in the closet.
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