Febrile Seizures | Febrile convulsions | Fever

 

Febrile seizures are usually seizures which typically happen in children because of a fever.  These types of seizures are generally short lived and harmless. The overall majority of children who got seizures will recover quickly and it won’t last long-term effects or any complications. But 2.5% to 5% of children who get complex febrile seizures will eventually develop epilepsy.

Generally, Febrile seizures attack the young and healthy children who have normal organ development and they have not had any neurological symptoms before.

 

When your child has a febrile seizure, it can be very frightening to see that. But Luckily, these febrile seizures are harmless which last only a few minutes and normally it does not indicate any serious health issues.

You can help your children by keeping them calm during a febrile seizure and you can give comfort afterward. You can call your doctor if your child is evaluated as soon as possible after the seizure attack.

Symptoms

Generally, if a child has a febrile seizure which shakes all over the body and also they lose consciousness. But, sometimes the child who gets attacked by seizure may get very stiff or twitch in just one area of the body. 

If a child have a febrile seizure, they may:

• Have a slight fever which can be higher than 100.4 F (38.0 C)

• Suddenly Lose consciousness

• Overall shake or jerk the arms and legs

Types of Febrile seizures:

• Simple febrile seizures. This is the most common type which lasts usually from a few seconds to 15 minutes. Simple febrile seizures do not recurring within a 24 hours period which do not attack any specific part of the body.

• Complex febrile seizures. This type usually lasts longer than 15 minutes, but it can occur more than once within 24 hours or it can be confined to one side of your kid’s body.

Febrile seizures mostly occur within 24 hours of the onset of a fever which can be the first sign that your child is ill.

Causes 

Typically, fever causes febrile seizures. As a child’s temperature rises during the first day of an illness are the most common causes for Febrile seizures. They are likely to come with a fever of at least 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. In some of the cases, children will experience seizures before developing a fever.

Usually fever comes because viral infections will trigger febrile seizures. But the fevers. But fevers can occur by any type of infection, which includes:

• Chickenpox.

• Coronavirus (COVID-19).

• Ear infections.

• Encephalitis.

• Influenza.

• Malaria 

• Meningitis.

• Stomach flu 

• Strep throat.

• Tonsillitis.

• Upper respiratory infections.

Risk factors

Some of the factors increase the risk of having a febrile seizure which include:

• Young age. Most febrile seizures can occur in children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years, with the highest risk between the ages of 12 to 18 months.

• Family history. Some children will inherit family health issues to have seizures with a fever. Add on to that, researchers and scientists may link the different types of genes to a susceptibility for febrile seizures attack.

Complications

Mostly, febrile seizures won’t produce any long-term effects.Generally, Simple febrile seizures types don't cause any brain damage, intellectual disability or learning disabilities but it doesn't mean that your child does not undergo any disorder.

Febrile seizures are provoked by seizures which don’t indicate epilepsy. Epilepsy is a health condition which can be characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures which is caused by abnormal electrical signals in the brain.

Diagnosis

Febrile seizures usually attack the children with normal development. Your provider will review your child's medical history and growth development history which exclude other risk factors for epilepsy. In normally developing children, you must identify the cause of your child’s fever which can be the first step after a attack of febrile seizure.

Simple febrile seizures

Children who are currently with their vaccinations and those who have simple febrile seizures attack which do not need testing. Your healthcare provider will diagnose the febrile seizure that is usually based on your child's medical history.

In children who missed their vaccination schedule or a low immune system, your provider will suggest some test to look for severe infections:

• A blood test

• A urine test

• A spinal tap (lumbar puncture), which is used to find out if your child has a central nervous system infection,called meningitis

Complex febrile seizures

Your provider may recommend a test to diagnose the cause of complex febrile seizure is electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a test that helps to measure brain activity.

Your provider can also suggest an MRI  which is to check your child's brain, if your child has:

• An unusually or abnormal growth of large head

• An unusual or abnormal neurological evaluation

• Any Signs of high pressure in the skull during seizure attack

• A febrile seizure attack which last an unusually long time

Treatment

Most of the febrile seizure attacks can stop on their own within a few minutes. If your child experience febrile seizure, stay calm and follow the below steps:

• If your child undergoes any seizure attack, You must place your child on his or her side on a soft, flat surface where he or she won't fall down because of a seizure attack.

• Start time of seizure attack.

• You should stay close to watch and comfort your child whenever possible.

• You should remove hard or sharp objects near your child.

• You must loosen the tight or restrictive clothing of your child.

• You do not restrain your child or you cannot interfere with your child's movements during seizure attack.

• You do not put anything in your child's mouth during a seizure attack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What causes febrile seizures?

Ans: Most febrile seizures occur when a child has a high temperature caused by an infection.

Q2. What are the 3 signs and symptoms of a febrile convulsion?

Ans: loss of consciousness (black out) twitching or jerking of arms and legs. breathing difficulty.

Q3. Who is at risk for febrile seizures?

Ans: Young children between the ages of about 6 months and 5 years old are the most likely to have febrile seizures. Children are at the greatest risk of having a febrile seizure at age 2.

Q4. Are febrile seizures a future risk?

Ans: Complex febrile seizures are associated with a slightly increased chance of future seizure disorders.

Q5. Can febrile seizures lead to epilepsy?

Ans: If febrile seizures are prolonged, approximately 9.4% of children may develop epilepsy.