| Febrile seizures occur in young children at a time in | | | | Febrile seizures before they outgrow the tendency |
| their development when the seizure threshold is low. | | | | to have them. Febrile |
| This is a time when young children are susceptible to | | | | Seizures usually occur in children between the ages of |
| frequent childhood infections such as upper | | | | 6 months and 5 years and are particularly common in |
| respiratory infection, otitis media, viral syndrome, and | | | | toddlers. Children rarely develop their first febrile |
| they respond with comparably higher temperatures. | | | | seizure before the age of 6 months or after 3 years |
| Animal studies suggest a possible role of endogenous | | | | of age. The older a child is when the first febrile |
| pyrogens, such as interleukin 1, that, by increasing | | | | seizure occurs, the less likely that child is to have |
| neuronal excitability, may link fever and seizure | | | | more. |
| activity. | | | | During the seizure leave your child on the floor, |
| Febrile seizures aren't harmful to a child. Even though | | | | although you may want to slide a blanket under him |
| seeing your child have a febrile seizure is frightening, | | | | if the floor is hard. Move him only if he is in a |
| your child will be okay. A febrile seizure doesn't cause | | | | dangerous location. Loosen any tight clothing, |
| brain damage. Also, your child can't swallow his or her | | | | especially around the neck. If possible, open or |
| tongue during a seizure (it is physically impossible for | | | | remove clothes from the waist up. If he vomits, or if |
| someone to swallow his or her tongue). Febrile | | | | saliva and mucus build up in the mouth, turn him on |
| seizures usually last just a few minutes. It's very | | | | his side or stomach. Don't try to restrain your son, or |
| unusual for a febrile seizure to last more than 5 | | | | stop the seizure movements. |
| minutes. Usually, a child who has had a febrile seizure | | | | Don't try to force anything into his mouth to prevent |
| does not need to be hospitalized and probably does | | | | him from biting his tongue, as this increases the risk |
| not need X-rays or a brain wave test. | | | | of injury. |
| Febrile seizures can be scary to witness but | | | | Febrile seizures may begin with the sudden sustained |
| remember that they're fairly common, not usually a | | | | contraction of muscles on both sides of a child's body |
| symptom of serious illness, and in most cases don't | | | | -- usually the muscles of the face, trunk, arms, and |
| lead to other health problems. If you have any | | | | legs. A haunting, involuntary cry or moan often |
| questions or concerns, talk with your doctor. The | | | | emerges from the child, from the force of the |
| doctor will examine your child and ask you to | | | | muscle contraction. The contraction continues for |
| describe the seizure. In most cases, no additional | | | | seemingly endless seconds, or tens of seconds. The |
| treatment is necessary. The doctor may recommend | | | | child will fall, if standing, and may pass urine. He may |
| the standard treatment for fevers, which is | | | | vomit. He may bite his tongue. The child may not be |
| acetaminophen or ibuprofen. | | | | breathing, and may begin to turn blue. Finally, the |
| Approximately one in every 25 children will have at | | | | sustained contraction is broken by repeated brief |
| least one febrile | | | | moments of relaxation -- the child's body begins to |
| Seizure and more than one-third of these children will | | | | jerk rhythmically. The child is unresponsive to the |
| have additional | | | | parent's voice. |