What are petit-mal seizures?
A person with petit-mal seizures has abnormal electrical activity in the brain that causes short episodes of staring and loss of awareness. The cause for petit-mal seizure is unknown. Petit-mal seizures occur most commonly in children between the ages of 6 and 12 years. In most cases, medications effectively prevent petit-mal seizures.

What are the symptoms of petit-mal seizures?
Common symptoms of petit-mal seizures include brief episodes of staring, loss of attention, and loss of awareness. Additional symptoms include rapid eye blinking, chewing movements, and lip smacking during the episode. Usually, a person who experiences a petit-mal seizure has no memory of the episode, but remembers events prior to the episode and is fully alert after the episode.

How does the doctor treat petit-mal seizures?
Treatment for petit-mal seizures includes a ketogenic diet and anticonvulsant medications.