Febrile Seizures in Children

What are febrile seizures?

Febrile seizures are seizures/convulsions that can happen when a young child has a fever, usually above 100.4°F (38°C). The fever may continue for some time. Many children experience seizures during the temperature rise. The seizures typically last for a few minutes and stop on their own. Some kids might feel sleepy after the seizure, while others feel no effects.

Who will get febrile seizures?

  • Febrile seizures happen in kids aged six months to 5 years old.

  • Children are more likely to have a febrile seizure if:

  1. They have a family history of febrile seizures
  2. They’ve already had a febrile seizure
  3. They had their first febrile seizure when they were younger than 15 months old

Febrile seizures are not considered epilepsy.

What are the signs & symptoms of febrile seizures?

Febrile seizures usually last for a few minutes but may last longer. During the seizure or fit, the child’s body may convulse, shake, or twitch. He/she may roll his/her eyes, pee or vomit, drool, or pass out. Usually, only one seizure occurs, although fever or infection may continue for a few more days. Rarely, the seizures may occur only on one side of the body or can occur again within 24 hours.

What causes febrile seizures?

We don’t know for sure why febrile seizures happen. They may be linked to some viruses and the way a child’s developing brain reacts to high fevers. Although, there is a higher chance of having febrile seizures if other siblings/ family members have them.

Do's and don'ts if your child has febrile seizure

If your child has a febrile seizure, stay calm and:

    • Gently place your child on the floor or the bed
    • Place your child on their side to prevent choking
    • Remove any nearby objects
    • Loosen any clothing around the head and neck
    • Watch for signs of breathing problems, including a bluish color on the face
    • Try to keep track of how long the seizure lasts
    • If the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or your child turns blue, it may be a more severe type of seizure: Take the child to the hospital immediately

Don’ts

    • Do not put anything in your child’s mouth
    • Do not try to hold or restrain your child
    • Do not try to make the child drink water/give any medicine
    • Do not sprinkle water on the face
    • Do not use onions, slippers, knives, etc.

When the seizure is over, visit your doctor to find the cause of the fever.

The doctor may recommend the standard treatment for fever. Most medications to bring down the fever do not prevent febrile seizures

Does my child need to be admitted to the hospital?

In most cases, children with febrile seizures do not need hospital admission. However, they will need tests to find the cause of the fever.

Sometimes, the doctor may recommend observation, additional tests, or admission.

    • If the child has a prolonged febrile seizure
    • The seizure involves only one side of the body
    • The child has a second seizure within 24 hours
    • The child has trouble breathing or turns blue
    • The child isn’t responding normally or remains drowsy after the seizure stops
    • Unvaccinated or high-risk children

Does my child need medication for febrile seizures?

As parents, we can be scared to see febrile seizures. But they’re fairly common and not usually a symptom of serious illness. Febrile seizures can look severe but don’t cause other health problems. Most cases of febrile seizures do not need medication. In some cases, your doctor may advise intermittent prophylactic medicine.

If your child has already had a febrile seizure, ask your doctor for a nasal spray, which is an effective medication to stop a long seizure. Keep this medicine with you. All the caretakers involved in the child’s care should be aware of what to do in case of a seizure and know how to administer the nasal spray.

Will these seizures cause long-term problems for my child?

Febrile seizures can look severe but don’t cause other health problems. They are not epilepsy, and most children will outgrow them with age. They do not cause brain damage, learning problems, or impact on school achievement.

With very long seizures, there is an immediate risk to the child as well as some concerns of long-term problems. Your doctor should promptly treat prolonged seizures. Most children with febrile seizures, however, do not develop any problems.