A health condition in which convulsion occurs in a child due to fever is called febrile seizure. Commonly, fever happens from an infection. This condition commonly appears in young and healthy children who have normal development and without any neurological symptoms.
Although when the condition occurs it may be frightening but in most cases, febrile seizures are harmless and last only several minutes. Moreover, this condition does not indicate serious health problems.
It is advised to keep your child safe when it occurs and visit a doctor for an evaluation afterward.
Symptoms
The primary symptoms of febrile seizures include tremors and loss of consciousness. In some cases, children may get very stiff or twitch in one body region only. Check below some symptoms:
- Jerk or shake the legs and arms
- Loss of consciousness
- High fever (more than 100.4 F or 38 C degrees)
There are two types of febrile seizures (such as simple and complex). Check below them in detail:
- Simple febrile seizures – This is the most common type and it may last up to 15 minutes. Mostly, this febrile seizure type does not occur more than once per 24 hours and is not specific to one body part.
- Complex febrile seizures – In such cases, the condition may last more than 15 minutes and happen more times during 24 hours. Moreover, complex febrile seizures usually are confined to one body part only.
It is advised to see a doctor after the first febrile seizure even if it lasts a few seconds. You should immediately go to the emergency room if the febrile seizure happens for more than 5 minutes and along with the following symptoms. Examples include:
- Trouble breathing
- Extreme drowsiness
- Neck stiffness
- Vomiting
Causes
Children usually experience this condition when body temperature rises higher than normal. Furthermore, even a low-grade fever may cause a febrile seizure. Check below some febrile seizure causes:
- Infections – In most cases, fevers that cause febrile seizures occur due to viral infections and rarely due to bacterial infections. The virus that causes roseola and the flu (influenza) virus leads to high fevers associated with febrile seizures.
- Post-vaccination seizures – There are some vaccines that may increase the child’s risk of febrile seizures. For example diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and the measles-mumps-rubella vaccines. In any case, it is important to understand that fever triggers a febrile seizure, not vaccines.
Risk Factors
Check below some factors that may elevate the risk of febrile seizures:
- Young age – Approximately all cases of febrile seizures happen in children between 6 months and 5 years old. The higher risk of this condition is between 12 and 18 months of age.
- Family history – Sometimes, children may inherit the tendency to have seizures due to a fever. As per studies, there are different genes linked with this condition.
What Are The Possible Complications of Febrile Seizures?
In most cases, this condition to not cause any long-lasting effects. For example, simple febrile seizures do not cause brain damage or learning or intellectual disabilities and do not mean your child has other underlying conditions.
While febrile seizures are triggered by fevers, it does not mean your child may have epilepsy. A health condition in which recurrent seizures happen due to changed electrical signals in the brain is called epilepsy.
Recurrent Febrile Seizures
One of the most common complications is recurrent febrile seizures and the risk increases in the following cases. For example:
- Febrile seizures occur due to low-grade fever
- This condition was the first symptom of another health condition
- Family history of febrile seizures
- The child is younger than 18 months of age when the first febrile seizure happens
How to Prevent Febrile Seizures?
Usually, a febrile seizure happens in the first several hours of fever.
You can give your child over-the-counter (OTC) medicines (such as Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen) when a fever occurs but it would not prevent a seizure. If you decide to give your child Aspirin, you should use caution because it is not allowed to give children this medicine until 3 years old. Otherwise, your child is at higher risk of developing Reye’s syndrome, especially if he/she recovers from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms.
Sometimes, doctors prescribe rectal Diazepam or nasal Midazolam for children to experience long-lasting febrile seizures. In normal circumstances, previous medications are used to treat seizures that last more than 5 minutes or if the child experiences more than one febrile seizure during one day. Unfortunately, even prescription medications cannot prevent febrile seizures.
Diagnosis
Commonly, febrile seizures appear in children with normal development. Thus, doctors to diagnose this condition need to evaluate the child’s medical and family history to rule out factors that may cause epilepsy. After that, doctors may perform some tests to determine the fever cause. Check below some examples:
Simple Febrile Seizures
Commonly, children who have the first febrile seizure and are current with their vaccinations do not require testing. Healthcare providers may diagnose this condition based on the history. Those with a delayed vaccination program or a weakened immune system may need some tests to check for severe infections. These include:
- Blood and urine tests
- Lumbar puncture (a spinal tap) is usually used to diagnose nervous system infections (including meningitis)
Complex Febrile Seizures
Healthcare professionals usually perform an encephalogram (EEG) along with previous tests to confirm this type of febrile seizure. EEG is a specific test that measures brain activity. Physicians may also recommend an MRI to check the child’s brain in the following cases. For example:
- Symptoms of increased skull pressure
- Abnormal large head or neurological evaluation
- Long-term febrile seizure occurs
Treatment
Generally, febrile seizures go away on their own within a few minutes, so if your child has febrile seizures it is advised to keep calm and follow the steps listed below. Examples include:
- Stay close and comfort your child
- Measure how long the seizure lasts
- Get away from hard or sharp items your child
- Loosen tight or restrictive clothing
- Do not put anything in the child’s mouth
Immediately seek emergency care if your child has a febrile seizure that lasts more than 5 minutes, repeated seizures, or the child is not improving quickly despite the seizure lasting less than five minutes.
In some cases, your child may need hospitalization. For example:
- Prolonged seizures
- The child is younger than 6 months of age
- It is difficult to identify the infection
- Febrile seizures happen along with severe infections
Commonly, in children with simple febrile seizures, hospitalization is not required.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should you go to the emergency room (ER) for a febrile seizure?
In case you notice that your child experiences a febrile seizure that lasts more than 5 minutes, you should immediately call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room or hospital.
What triggers a febrile seizure?
Febrile seizures usually occur in children younger than 5 years old due to fever. Consult with your doctor for more details.
Can Ibuprofen cause seizures?
Yes if it is taken in high doses. For instance, taking more than 400 mg/kg of Ibuprofen is often associated with seizures, apnea, hypotension (low blood pressure), bradycardia, metabolic acidosis, renal and hepatic dysfunction, and other health problems. If you have any other questions, ask your healthcare provider.
