Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that, without medical intervention, can lead to recurrent seizures that impact various parts of the brain. Epilepsy is a relatively common condition in the United States.
Research indicates that an estimated 1.2 percent of Americans live with an active epileptic disorder. This translates to 3.4 million individuals throughout the country, in addition to more than 65 million people around the world living with the condition. Roughly one in 26 people will experience epilepsy at some point in their lives, and the first seizure can come at any time. Medical professionals have diagnosed infants under the age of 2 with epilepsy, while others can live over 65 years before their first seizure.
In America, approximately 470,000 of the more than 3 million epilepsy cases involve children. Between 30 and 40 percent of children living with epilepsy have the disease but do not experience seizures. One in five children live with an intellectual disability, while as many as 50 percent have a specific learning disability. Only a small number of American children with epilepsy experience severe neurological conditions like cerebral palsy.
