Infantile Status Epilepticus: A Case of Excessive Water Intake in a Five-Month-Old Girl

TL;DR

A five-month-old girl developed seizures and severe low sodium due to excessive water intake, highlighting the dangers of water intoxication in infants.

Contribution

This case emphasizes the rare but critical link between water intoxication and status epilepticus in very young infants.

Findings

A five-month-old girl experienced status epilepticus due to severe hyponatremia from water intoxication.

Proper diagnosis and management led to successful treatment of the condition.

Water intoxication is a rare but lethal cause of hyponatremia in infants under six months.

Abstract

Hyponatremia in children, especially in normal infants below the age of six months, is a common cause of the first onset of afebrile convulsions, which can be rarely associated with water intoxication and can lead to a state of encephalopathy and status epilepticus if not diagnosed and managed properly early. Water intoxication is an uncommon but potentially lethal cause of hyponatremia. We report a five-month-old girl who presented to our hospital with status epilepticus, facial puffiness, cyanosis, and severe hyponatremia secondary to water intoxication. Proper investigations and labs were done, and the patient was managed successfully. The aim of reporting this case is to highlight the importance of water intoxication with secondary status epilepticus in infants below six months of age.

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