What Are Febrile Seizures and How to Deal With Them
In this Article
Febrile seizures are generally convulsions that can happen when a young child has a fever above 104 degrees. Febrile means feverish; the seizures usually last for a few minutes and stop on their own. The fever may continue for some time, though. It is caused by a viral infection and less commonly by a bacterial infection.
What are the three signs and symptoms of a febrile seizure?
Most often, during a seizure, a child will lose consciousness, and both arms and legs will shake uncontrollably. Rarely symptoms, like rolling of the eyes, oozing of saliva, rigid limbs or turning on only one side or portion of the body, can be seen.
Is febrile seizure dangerous?
While febrile seizures are scary, they are harmless in a child. They do not cause any brain damage, nervous system problems, paralysis or death.
Is febrile seizure an emergency?
Although they can be frightening, febrile seizures usually stop on their own in a few minutes of duration and do not harm the health of the child.
At what age do febrile seizures stop?
Febrile seizures usually stop when your child reaches six years of age. They might occur to young children ranging between 3 months to 5 years. They come to a halt once the child builds a healthy immune system.
Can a child stop breathing during a seizure?
Yes, your child might temporarily stop breathing—this is because of the fall in oxygen supply during a seizure, to solve this problem, a nasal spray should be used.
Approximately one in every twenty-five children gets febrile seizures. Seizures are more likely to happen in the second year of a child. It’s essential to notice a seizure, if your baby shows symptoms like sweating, vomiting, or becomes pale, accompanied by rigidity in one muscle group such as fingers, arms or legs he may be having a seizure. You may also observe lip-smacking, crying, moaning, and loss of consciousness.
The reason why lips turn blue and the face becomes flushed with blue appearance during a seizure is lack of oxygen. In this case, tepid sponging and three puffs in each nostril will act as first aid at home.
How to prevent further seizures?
- Give fever medicine as prescribed by the paediatrician.
- Don’t bundle up or overdress your child. The body loses heat through the skin. If you overdress your baby, then excess heat can’t escape easily.
- Sponge your baby vigorously or let your baby sit in water tub for 2-3 minutes which contains lukewarm water, if your baby starts shivering then take him out immediately.
- It is necessary to give plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
- Parents should be prepared to perform first aid for a seizure by a paediatrician.
Remember, the more the baby rests, the better he will feel.
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