Febrile seizures are the most common neurological emergency in young children between 6 months to 5 years of age. Seeing a young child seizing is very stressful for parents. Parents need to understand what febrile seizures are, their causes and when to seek medical attention.
What are Febrile Seizures?
Febrile seizures occur when a child has a seizure episode due to a sudden spike in body temperature. It is commonly seen in younger children between 6 months to 5 years of age. They vary in severity.Most of the episodes are brief, do not recur and do not cause any neurological damage.
Types of Febrile Seizures:
Simple Febrile Seizures: These are the most common. The time duration is usually less than 5 minutes. They cause generalised twitching of the whole body, rolling the eyeballs. The child regains consciousness within a short period of time.
Complex Febrile Seizures: They are less common. They present as twitching movements of one side of the body, which then progress to the whole body. The time duration is usually longer, more than 5 minutes. The child takes a longer time to regain full consciousness.
What Causes Febrile Seizures?
They are typically triggered by an abrupt spike in temperature, most often due to infection. The common causes include:
Viral infections: like common cold, flu-like illness, fever associated with rash.
Bacterial infections: common infections can be ear infections or pneumonia.
Immunisations: In some rare cases, febrile seizures may occur after vaccinations.
A rapid spike in body temperature triggers seizures in some children, the exact reason for this phenomenon is not fully understood.In some cases, genetic predisposition is the reason.
Signs and Symptoms of Febrile Seizures:
Jerking or twitching movements of the arms, legs or the whole body.
Up rolling of the eyeballs.
Clenched fists and clenched teeth.
Loss of consciousness or unresponsiveness.
The seizure usually lasts for a few seconds to a few minutes.
Following this, the child will be confused or irritable but will recover without any lasting effects.
As a parent, when you witness a seizure in your child, try to stay calm.
Don’t leave your child.
Try placing them on a safe and firm surface.
Give your child a lateral position so that they don’t aspirate their secretions.
Call for medical help.
When to Seek Medical Help?
It’s important that as a parent, you seek medical help in the following circumstances:
First seizure episode.
A seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes.
Multiple seizures within 24 hours.
Worsening of symptoms like fever that doesn’t subside, the child has prolonged unresponsiveness post-seizure or shows abnormal behaviour after the seizure.
Prevention of Febrile Seizure
While febrile seizures can’t be prevented, a few steps can be taken to reduce the risk of having a second episode of seizure:
If your child has a fever, give antipyretics like Paracetamol or Me fenamic acid suspension as advised by your paediatrician.
Be sure to follow the dosing instructions as advised.
Monitor the temperature regularly.
Dress your child appropriately.
Ensure proper hydration.
Consult your doctor if the fever remains persistently high.
Want to consult the best gynecologists in India? Please find the links below.
