What is a febrile seizure ?

Febrile seizure is convulsion triggered by a spike in temperature. It usually wont harm the baby but can be very alarming to the parents and caregivers. A child with febrile fever may roll his eyes, drool or vomit. He may also become stiff and not respond when you talk to him. His body may also twitch or jerk. This condition usually occurs in children between the ages of 9 months and 5 years. It usually occurs in illness which results in a rapid  rise of fever. Such illnesses include cold, stomach infections and roseola.
 

Most febrile seizures last less than a minute although occasionally it may last up to 15 minutes. They usually  occur only once during a 24-hour period and involve both the left and right sides of the body.

What should I do if my child has febrile seizure ?

You can take the following measures during seizures to keep the child safe.

• lay the child on the bed or floor. Remove any dangerous object from the floor to prevent injury
• do not give the child anything by mouth
• do not restrain the child or try to stop seizure movement
• place the child on his  side or turn his head to the side to prevent choking
• loosen the child’s clothing especially around the neck. If it is possible, remove clothing from waist up

 
You should also focus on bringing  fever down by doing the following :

• give the child a luke-warm sponge bath to bring the temperature down. Cold water or alcohol can make fever worse
• insert an acetaminophen suppository into the child’s rectum if you have any
• After the seizure is over, give the child a normal dose of ibuprofen or acetaminophen . Do not give your child aspirin. This can cause Reye’s syndrome , a rare but dangerous condition

It is important to find out the cause of the fever that caused  the febrile seizure. Contact your child’s doctor.

Call for emergency help if :

• child is having trouble breathing
• seizures last for more than 2 to 3 minutes