Febrile convulsions
fever; febrile; convulsion; fit; seizure; epilepsy ;
Contents
Febrile convulsions are common.They are frightening to watch, but:
- they cause no long term problems
- they do not cause brain damage, death or epilepsy
- they stop by 6 years of age.
What is a febrile convulsion?
A febrile convulsion is a convulsion or fit that occurs when a child has a fever.
Febrile convulsions occur in approximately 3% of children aged between 6 months and six years.
The convulsion is almost always very brief (less than 2 minutes) and does not cause your child any harm.
It is important to seek medical help if your child has a febrile convulsion so that the cause of the fever can be found and appropriate medical advice and treatment can be given.
Why do febrile convulsions occur?
It is possible for anyone to have a convulsion, given the right stimulation. The brains of some infants and young children are very sensitive to rises in body temperature making them prone to having a convulsion when they have a fever.
The convulsion usually occurs as the temperature increases rapidly and most often occurs on the first day of the illness. It may be the first sign that your child is unwell.
Some families are more susceptible to febrile convulsions than others.
What do febrile convulsions look like?
When a child has a convulsion or fit they become unconscious, unaware of their surroundings, their eyes may roll back and any part of their body may jerk or twitch. They may have difficulty breathing.
What do you do if your child has a febrile convulsion?
Lie your child on their side with their head in a neutral position. Never lie a person who is unconscious or having a fit, on their back.
- Do not put anything inside their mouth.
- Stay with your child during the convulsion.
- Do not give your child paracetamol or ibuprofen until your child is fully awake.
- Attempt to cool your child by removing excessive clothing and putting a fan on (if available). Do not use ice or put your child into a bath. If your child starts to shiver cover him with a light sheet to slow down cooling.
- Seek medical help as soon as possible, eg. your local doctor or nearest hospital.
- If the convulsion does not stop within five minutes call an ambulance.
What should you do when the convulsion stops?
Your child may not wake up straight away so it is important to keep him/her lying on the side until fully conscious.
Call an ambulance if your child does not wake within 20 - 30 minutes of the fit.
Will your child have further febrile convulsions?
Most children do not have further febrile convulsions; however a minority will (25-30%). The risk of further convulsions is different for individual children. Your doctor will advise you of this.
How do you prevent your child having a febrile convulsion?
There is no guaranteed way of preventing febrile convulsions. The following methods can be used to reduce fever in children, but this may not prevent another convulsion:
- Undress your child down to nappy/underpants.
- Keep the child cool but do not allow shivering.
- Give medication to control fever.
- Do not place your child in a bath to bring their temperature down.
If your child has long or frequent febrile convulsions, your doctor may prescribe a medicine to help reduce their frequency or to treat them when they occur.
Will your child get epilepsy?
Febrile convulsions do not significantly increase the risk of developing epilepsy later in life, but some children with epilepsy may have convulsions when they develop a fever.
Medications to control fever
Paracetamol is the recommended first line medication to control fever.
- Work out how much to give your child according to the instructions on the bottle.
- Be careful – there are many different products containing different strengths of paracetamol – check the dose on the bottle each time you give your child paracetamol.
- Do not give more than 5 doses in 24 hours.
- Some cough and cold products already contain paracetamol – so be careful when you work out whether to give paracetamol.
Ibuprofen is an alternative for the treatment of fever in children. Do not use both paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time.
Ibuprofen should be taken with food if possible. If your child has been vomiting and/or not drinking (may be dehydrated), contact your doctor before giving ibuprofen. Paracetamol is safer if your child has been vomiting and not drinking.
- Be careful: There are many different products containing different strengths of ibuprofen. Check the dose each time you give your child ibuprofen.
- Do not give more than 3 doses in 24 hours.
Reference
Paediatric Emergency Department, Women's and Children's Hospital, South Australia 'Febrile convulsions – guidelines for parents and caregivers' November 2008
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).
This topic may use 'he' and 'she' in turn - please change to suit your
child's sex.