A febrile seizure is a fairly common kind of seizure than happens to a child when they have a fever. Children aged 6 months to 5 year of age are susceptible to this type of seizure but are most common in toddlers from 12 to 18 months of age. Febrile seizures usually occur with a fever above 38 degrees C and result full-body convulsions that last for a few minutes.
Although a febrile seizure can be very scary, they usually cause no damage and do not require treatment.
When a child has a febrile seizure, the entire body will convulse and twitch. They can become unconscious during the seizure. Once the seizure is over, the child may feel extremely sleepy.
The cause of febrile seizures in not known. Doctors believe there is a link to certain types of viruses, but this has not been proven. Febrile seizures do tend to run in families though, so there could be a genetic link. Also, 35% of children who have one febrile seizure will have another.
If your child has a febrile seizure, here’s what you should do:
· Make sure the environment is safe so they do not injure themselves during a seizure.
· Keep your child on their side during the seizure so they do not choke.
· Watch your child’s breathing and contact emergency services if they have difficulty.
· If a seizure lasts more than 10 minutes, contact emergency services.
· Do not try to restrain your child during a seizure.
· Do not put anything in their mouth.
· Do not put them in water to cool them off during a seizure.
