Topic Overview
Fever seizures
(sometimes called fever convulsions or febrile seizures) can
occur in children who have a rapid increase in body temperature. You may not
even know that your child has a fever. The rapid increase in body temperature in a
short period of time may happen at the same time as the fever seizure. After a fever has reached a
high temperature, the risk of a seizure is probably over. Most children who
have a fever seizure have temperatures above
102°F (39°C).
A
seizure is likely to be fever-related if:
- There is one seizure in a 24-hour period.
- The seizure lasted less than 15 minutes.
- The seizure affected the entire body, not just one side of the
body.
- The child is between 6 months and 5 years
old.
- The child does not have nervous system (neurological)
problems.
- The child has had fever seizures before.
Fever seizures can
be frightening but they are not usually harmful to the child and do not cause
long-term problems, such as brain damage,
intellectual disabilities, or learning
problems.
Fever seizures affect 2% to 5% of children.
Children can have another seizure. The chance of another fever seizure varies
with age, but about 30% to 50% will have another within a year of the first
one. These seizures are not a form of
epilepsy.
A child who is having a seizure
often loses
consciousness and shakes, moving his or her arms and
legs on both sides of the body. The child's eyes may roll back. The child may
stop breathing for a few seconds and might also vomit, urinate, or pass stools.
It is important to
protect the child from injury during a seizure.
Fever seizures usually last 1 to 3 minutes. After the seizure, the child
may be sleepy. You can let the child sleep, but check him or her frequently for
changes in color or breathing, or for twitching arms or legs. The child also may
seem confused after the seizure, but normal behavior and activity level should
return within 60 minutes of the seizure.
Check
your child's symptoms to decide if and when your child should see a
doctor.
Check Your Symptoms
Home Treatment
Protect your child from injury
during a seizure:
- Ease the child to the floor, or lay a very small
child facedown on your lap. Do not restrain the child.
- Turn the
child onto his or her side, which will help clear the mouth of any vomit or
saliva. This will help keep the tongue from blocking the air passage so the
child can breathe. Keeping the head and chin forward (in the same position as
when you sniff a flower) also will help keep the air passage
open.
- Loosen clothing.
- Do not put anything in the
child's mouth to prevent tongue-biting. This could cause
injury.
- Try to stay calm, which will help calm the child. Comfort
the child with quiet, soothing talk.
- Time the length of the seizure
and pay close attention to the child's behavior during the seizure so you can
describe it to your child's doctor.
Check your child for injuries after the seizure:
- If the child is having trouble breathing, turn
his or her head to the side and, using your finger, gently clear the mouth of
any vomit or saliva to aid breathing.
- If the child does
not need to see a doctor right away, put him or her in a cool room
to sleep. Sleepiness is common following a seizure. Check on the child often.
Normal behavior and activity level should return within 60 minutes of the
seizure.
If your child has had a fever seizure in the past and you have
talked with your child's doctor about how to care for your child after a
seizure, be sure to follow the doctor's instructions.
For home treatment of a
fever, see the topic
Fever, Age 11 and Younger.
Symptoms to watch for during home treatment
Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home
treatment:
- Another seizure occurs with the same fever
illness.
- Other symptoms of illness develop, such as an infection.
- Symptoms become more severe or frequent.
Prevention
The best way to prevent fevers is to reduce
your child's exposure to infectious diseases.
Hand-washing is the single most important prevention
measure for people of all ages.
Preparing For Your Appointment
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.
You may feel upset
after seeing a
fever seizure. Stay calm. You can help your child's
doctor diagnose and treat your child's condition by being prepared
to answer the following questions:
- What is the history of the fever?
- When did the fever start?
- Did it
come on suddenly or increase over several hours?
- How high is the
fever?
- Does the child have any other symptoms?
- Does your child have frequent fevers? How long do
they usually last?
- How was the child's health and behavior before
the seizure?
- Had the child had an accident or an injury before the
seizure?
- What happened during the seizure?
- What kind of
body movements were there?
- How long did the seizure
last?
- How did the child act immediately after the
seizure?
- Have you noted any injuries from the
seizure?
- Has the child ever had a seizure before?
- What
other health problems, if any, has the child had over the past 3
months?
- Has your child been eating, drinking, and playing
normally?
- What home treatment measures, including nonprescription
medicines, have you used? Did they help?
- Does your child have any
health risks?
Ask your child's doctor what you can do to prevent
another seizure and what to do if another seizure occurs.
References
Other Works Consulted
- American Academy of Pediatrics (2008).
Clinical Practice Guideline for the Long-term Management of the Child With Simple Febrile Seizures. Elk Grove Village, IL: American
Academy of Pediatrics.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine |
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| Last Revised | September 13, 2012 |
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