Objective To investigate the clinical features of children with early-onset benign occipital epilepsy (EBOS) and children with late-onset benign occipital epilepsy (LOS) and their EEG changes,treatments and prognoses.Methods Sixty children with benign occipital epilepsy,admitted to our hospital from June 2007 to June 2012,were chosen in our study; their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.According to the recommendations of the 2001 International League against Epilepsy (ILAE),these patients were divided into EBOS group (n=28) and LOS group (n=32); the clinical manifestations,electroencephalogram (EEG) characteristics,medication effectiveness in the two groups of children were compared.Results No significant difference on gender distribution,febrile convulsion histories and family history of epilepsy was noted between the two groups (P＞0.05); however,average ages of onset in the EBOS group were significantly younger than those in the LOS group (P＜ 0.05),and the onset time,seizure frequency,attack mode,seizures associated symptoms and seizure EEG waveforms in the EBOS group were obviously different as compared with those in the LOS group.Single-drug AED treatment could have control effect in 23 of children in the EBOS group and 12 of children in the LOS group; statistical difference was noted between the two groups (P＜0.05).Conclusion The onset time,seizure frequency,attack mode and seizures associated symptoms are obvious different between children with EBOS and LOS,and combined with seizure EEG waveforms,these differences can be used to identify the two.