THE BABBLE TAKE
Febrile seizures can be brought on by the rapid spike in body temperature that happens when a child develops a high fever. The symptoms can be mild, such as eye-rolling, or slight shaking, or they can consist of full-blown seizures with the whole body cramping up in spasms. Febrile seizures can last from anywhere from a couple of seconds to a few minutes. Doctors say it is not the fever itself, but the rapid temperature change that brings on the seizure. Febrile seizures can appear quite suddenly, and might be the first sign of fever in your child. Watching your child have a febrile seizure can obviously be frightening, but experts say febrile seizures are most often harmless, so don't panic. It is a good idea to contact your child's health care provider if your child has had a febrile seizure. Febrile seizures are usually not cause for hospitalization, though if the seizures go on for a long time, or if the child has a serious infection, hospitalization might be necessary. Several of the websites listed below have advice on what to do if your child is having febrile seizures. Febrile seizures are most common in children between 6 months and 5 years.
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
"Febrile seizures are convulsions brought on by a fever in infants or small children. During a febrile seizure, a child often loses consciousness and shakes. Less commonly, a child becomes rigid or has twitches in only a portion of the body. Most febrile seizures last a minute or two; some can be as brief as a few seconds, while others last for more than 15 minutes. Febrile seizures usually occur in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years and are particularly common in toddlers. A few factors appear to boost a child's risk of having recurrent febrile seizures, including young age (less than 15 months) during the first seizures, frequent fevers, and having immediate family members with a history of febrile seizures."
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Family Doctor
"Generally, febrile seizures aren't harmful to a child. Even though seeing your child have a febrile seizure is frightening, your child will be okay. A febrile seizure doesn't cause brain damage. Also, your child can't swallow his or her tongue during a seizure. Febrile seizures usually last just a few minutes and go away on their own. It's very unusual for a febrile seizure to last more than 10 minutes. Usually, a child who has had a febrile seizure does not need to be hospitalized and may not need x-rays or a brain wave test. Your child may only need to be seen by your family doctor so the cause of the fever can be found."
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Mayo Clinic
"Febrile seizures aren't as dangerous as they may look. A seizure triggered by a sudden fever is usually harmless and typically doesn't indicate a long-term or ongoing problem. Often, a febrile seizure occurs before parents even realize that their child is ill. Febrile seizures affect 2 percent to 4 percent of children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. Although fairly common, a febrile seizure is still reason to seek medical attention, especially to check for any serious cause for the fever."
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Medline Plus
"About 3–5 percent of otherwise healthy children between the ages of 9 months and 5 years will have a seizure caused by a fever. Toddlers are most commonly affected. There is a tendency for febrile seizures to run in families. Most febrile seizures are triggered by a rapid rise of body temperature over 102.2°F. Most occur well within the first 24 hours of an illness, not necessarily when the fever is highest. It is the quickness of the rise in temperature, not the actual height of the fever, which appears to trigger the seizures. The seizure is often the first sign of a fever. The first febrile seizure is one of life's most frightening moments for parents. Most parents are afraid that their child will die or have brain damage. Thankfully, simple febrile seizures are harmless. There is no evidence that simple febrile seizures cause death, brain damage, epilepsy, mental retardation, a decrease in IQ, or learning difficulties."
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Dr. Greene
"Some children have seizures or convulsions when they have fevers. Although febrile seizures are fairly common, many parents have never seen one until it happens to their child. [...] The seizure begins with the sudden sustained contraction of muscles on both sides of a child's body — usually the muscles of the face, the trunk, the arms and the legs. Often a haunting, involuntary cry or moan emerges from the child, from the force of the muscle contraction. The contraction continues for seemingly endless seconds, or tens of seconds. The child will fall, if standing, and may pass urine. He may vomit. He may bite his tongue. The child will not be breathing, and may begin to turn blue. Finally, the sustained contraction is broken by repeated brief moments of relaxation — the child's body begins to jerk rhythmically."
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