Faculty mentor/PI email address
ifatima@holyname.org
Is your research Teaching and Learning based?
1
Keywords
Pediatric Epilepsy, Childhood Epilepsy, Language Barrier, Limited English Proficiency, Immigration Status, Non-English Speaking
Date of Presentation
5-6-2026 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
Epilepsy affects approximately 1% of children in the United States, representing over 456,000 pediatric patients with active seizure disorders. Despite advances in antiseizure medications and surgical interventions, the benefits of these developments are not distributed equally across racial, socioeconomic, and geographic groups. A narrative review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Medline using search terms including "pediatric epilepsy," "health disparities," "health equity," "social determinants of health," "race," "socioeconomic status," and "access to care." Articles were included if they focused on pediatric populations aged 0 to 17, addressed at least one disparity domain, and were published between 2013 and 2025. A total of 28 articles were included following title, abstract, and full-text review. Racial and ethnic disparities were the most consistently documented findings. Black and Hispanic children experience longer delays to subspecialty referral and are significantly less likely to receive surgical evaluation for drug-resistant epilepsy. Socioeconomic barriers including low income, inadequate insurance coverage, and medication unaffordability contribute to breakthrough seizures and higher rates of emergency department utilization. Geographic isolation and language barriers further limit care access among rural, non-English-speaking, and immigrant families. Health disparities in pediatric epilepsy are significant, multidimensional, and inadequately studied. Children in underserved communities are not diagnosed with different epilepsies; they are diagnosed later, treated less consistently, and lost to follow-up more frequently because the systems designed to serve them were not built with their realities in mind. Future research must prioritize pediatric-specific disparity data and culturally adapted care models to ensure equitable access to care for all children with epilepsy.
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Nervous System Diseases | Public Health
Included in
Health Disparities in Pediatric Epilepsy: A Narrative Review of Barriers to Equitable Care
Epilepsy affects approximately 1% of children in the United States, representing over 456,000 pediatric patients with active seizure disorders. Despite advances in antiseizure medications and surgical interventions, the benefits of these developments are not distributed equally across racial, socioeconomic, and geographic groups. A narrative review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Medline using search terms including "pediatric epilepsy," "health disparities," "health equity," "social determinants of health," "race," "socioeconomic status," and "access to care." Articles were included if they focused on pediatric populations aged 0 to 17, addressed at least one disparity domain, and were published between 2013 and 2025. A total of 28 articles were included following title, abstract, and full-text review. Racial and ethnic disparities were the most consistently documented findings. Black and Hispanic children experience longer delays to subspecialty referral and are significantly less likely to receive surgical evaluation for drug-resistant epilepsy. Socioeconomic barriers including low income, inadequate insurance coverage, and medication unaffordability contribute to breakthrough seizures and higher rates of emergency department utilization. Geographic isolation and language barriers further limit care access among rural, non-English-speaking, and immigrant families. Health disparities in pediatric epilepsy are significant, multidimensional, and inadequately studied. Children in underserved communities are not diagnosed with different epilepsies; they are diagnosed later, treated less consistently, and lost to follow-up more frequently because the systems designed to serve them were not built with their realities in mind. Future research must prioritize pediatric-specific disparity data and culturally adapted care models to ensure equitable access to care for all children with epilepsy.