Child daydreams may be fits

CHILDREN who daydream repeatedly may be having epileptic fits, experts said yesterday, writes Celia Hall.

Some go undiagnosed for years and a few may never be diagnosed, according to Dr John Duncan, neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurophysiology. He was speaking before the first international meeting of experts on 'absences' in London later this week.

'Some children may go blank hundreds of times a day for a few seconds at a time. Of the children with epilepsy, typically, one in ten has absences,' he said.

The experts believe about 10,000 children are affected.