Febrile
Seizures
by
Robert J. Engelhardt,
MD
What
is a Febrile Seizure?
Febrile seizures are seizures that are brought on by
rapidly rising body temperatures. During these
episodes the body may stiffen and jerk for several minutes
and the child may be groggy afterwards. The fevers
are most commonly due to viral infections but may be due to
bacterial infections as well. Febrile seizures occur
in 2-4% of the population less than five years of
age. To qualify as a febrile seizure, the body
temperature must be greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
and the patient must be less than six years old.
Febrile seizures often occur when the rate of temperature
rise is the fastest. There is a genetic
predisposition to febrile seizures. If a parent or
sibling has had a febrile seizure then the risk goes from
2-4% up to 10-20%.
What
can a parent do during a seizure?
You cannot make a seizure stop. The most important
thing to do is to stay calm. Place the child on a
soft surface, lying on his abdomen or side. Do not
restrain him or place anything in his mouth. Try to
observe exactly how long and which parts of his body are
involved so you can describe it later. While a
febrile seizure is not a life threatening event, there are
other causes of seizures that can be very serious.
Anytime
your child has a seizure, you should call your
pediatrician. If the seizure lasts longer than five
minutes, your child should be transported to the hospital
where medication can be given to stop the
seizure.
Will
it cause brain damage?
No. Febrile seizures do not cause brain damage or epilepsy.
The incident of epilepsy is 0.5% for the general
population. This increases to 1% for patients who have had
febrile seizures.
Will
it recur?
Almost half of all children with febrile seizures will have
a recurrence. The most likely time is within the
first year of the initial seizure. Risk factors for
recurrence include age less than one year at initial
seizure, family history, relatively low body temperature
that caused first seizure, and a short period of time
between fever and first seizure.
How
can I prevent a febrile seizure?
Almost no children require medication for true
febrile seizures. Often times the seizure is the
first sign that the child has a fever. Ibuprofen and
Acetaminophen will help lower the body temperature and make
the child more comfortable, but they have not been proven
to prevent febrile seizures.
This information is
intended for educational purposes only and is not intended
to replace advice from your personal physician.
