Febrile seizures

What are febrile seizures?

Febrile seizures are a type of seizure or convulsion that occurs with a fever in young children.

They are most common between 6 months and 3 years of age but sometimes are seen in children up to age 6 years. These convulsions usually appear on the first day of the child’s fever or with a sudden rise in temperature.

Although the exact cause of febrile seizures is not known, they do tend to run in families.

Most cases of febrile seizures are triggered by viral illnesses such as a cold or upper respiratory infection. Occasionally a febrile seizure may be caused by a more serious infection, for example, meningitis.

Febrile seizures are the most common cause of seizures among children. About 5% of all children will have one or more febrile seizure.

Treatment / What you should do

If your febrile child has a seizure, and has never had one before, you should contact a doctor.

 The doctor may want to examine your child or may refer you to the local Emergency Department. While the seizure is likely to stop on its own, it is important to find the cause of your child’s fever.

Most fever is caused by common viral infections, but occasionally the cause is a more serious bacterial infection. If this is the case, your child will need treatment with antibiotics.

If your child has a febrile seizure, it is important that you keep calm and know what to do.

If your child is unconscious and his body is shaking, you should lay him on his side in a stable position, with his head slightly back, so that his airway is open.

Protect the child’s head from hitting the floor or any other objects; put a towel or soft object under his head. Loosen any tight-fitting clothes that your child is wearing.

Do NOT stick anything in his mouth as this may injure his teeth.

Stay with your child until he awakens, as he may be confused and not understand what has happened. If your child has a more localized seizure without losing consciousness, it is important that you bring your child to a quiet place, allow him to sit down and calm him until he is completely awake again, and the seizure is over.

Do not try to stop the shaking during a seizure by holding your arms around the child, or by shaking him. This will not be of any help. To bring your child’s temperature down, give acetaminophen in rectal suppository form. You should never give the child medicine by mouth (oral), because he will be unable to swallow during a seizure and could choke.

Cool your child by removing all of his clothes and wrapping him in a towel dampened with lukewarm water. DO NOT use alcohol or cold water to try to bring the fever down since this will cause the body to have shaking chills, which actually raise the body’s internal temperature. If a child has had febrile seizures before, the doctor may have recommended seizure medicine that can be inserted into the rectum during the next seizure.

Give the child the seizure medicine in the prescribed dosage determined by your doctor.

Try to note how long the seizure episode lasts. If the seizures last longer than 5 minutes, or if the child seems to be in severe distress, you must call an ambulance service by telephoning 911.