A PAEDIATRICIAN at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Mrs Abies Ojokojo, has warned parents and caregivers against harmful interventions during children’s convulsions, saying practices can cause injuries and complications.
Ojokojo gave the warning on Friday in Benin during a health talk at a women’s outreach organised by Christ Embassy, New Benin branch, urging caregivers to remain calm during emergencies and seizures.
She said high temperature could trigger convulsions in children, recalling cases where people had placed lit candles under the feet of convulsing children, resulting in burns to their soles and injuries.
The paediatrician also cautioned against giving substances such as urine, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil or mashed scent leaf to a child during a seizure or convulsion during emergencies.
She said that nothing should be placed in a child’s mouth.
Ojokojo said: “Don’t put anything in the child’s mouth. Don’t give the child oil, don’t give the child anything,” she warned.
Ojokojo particularly cautioned against putting a spoon or finger into a child’s mouth, explaining that a spoon could break the child’s teeth, while a finger could be severely bitten during seizures.
She added that broken teeth could enter the airway and cause breathing problems, potentially worsening the child’s condition and creating additional medical complications requiring urgent treatment and specialist care urgently.
According to her, the immediate priority should be protecting the child from injury by removing dangerous objects, loosening tight clothing and turning the child to the side to keep airways clear.
She advised caregivers to allow the child to lie safely while someone makes arrangements to take the child to a hospital or healthcare facility for medical attention as soon as possible.
Ojokojo said most convulsions would stop within five minutes, although a few could last longer, urging caregivers not to administer substances or engage in practices that could cause further injury, especially.
She said some seizures might not present with the obvious jerking movements commonly associated with convulsions, making it important for caregivers to recognise other possible signs quickly and seek help promptly.
Describing less obvious seizures, Ojokojo said: “Some children, they just sit down and they are lost, and they are convulsing. Or rather, the brain is having seizures,” she explained during outreach.
The paediatrician said that in some cases, what doctors had to manage when the child was brought to hospital was no longer the seizure, but injuries and complications caused by interventions.
“Most times, the thing will now start managing when they bring the child to the hospital, it’s not the convulsion anymore, it’s the trouble that was caused by people who felt they were trying to help,” she said.
She urged parents and bystanders to discourage such practices, keep the environment safe and seek prompt medical attention for the child whenever convulsions occurred, especially when seizures persisted or worsened further.
As a pastor, Ojokojo also encouraged mothers to remain prayerful while seeking prompt medical care for their children, emphasising that spiritual support should complement appropriate medical attention and treatment for safety.
NAN reports that a study involving 500 mothers in Tegbesun, a community in Ilorin, found that among 85 mothers who had managed childhood convulsions at home, 63.4 per cent reported aspiration.
The study also found that 32.4 per cent of mothers reported eye damage, while 2.8 per cent reported burns or contractures; one death, representing 1.4 per cent, was also recorded overall.
The study by Nigerian paediatricians Emmanuel Anigilaje and Omolara Anigilaje found that 61.2 per cent of reported home interventions involved putting a hand or spoon into the child’s mouth during seizures.
It further found that 8.3 per cent of the reported home interventions involved burning the child’s extremities, highlighting risks associated with traditional practices used during childhood convulsions and emergencies in homes. (NAN)
