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About one month ago my daughter was home from school with a high fever. After I just gave her some medicine to reduce her fever, she stopped breathing, turned blue, starting shaking and her eyes rolled back - I thought she was dying. Hysterically crying, I called 911 and sent my contractor to get my neighbor who is also a nurse. In the meantime, I tried to perform CPR but for the minute or two that it lasted I truly thought my little girl was going to die. The Milford EMS squad (you rock!) showed up in less than five minutes. They explained that she likely had a febrile seizure (a what?) and we decided to take her to the hospital for further testing and observation. Thank goodness our little girl was released the same day. Her fever lasted for about 5 days, due to a virus. We were told that this may occur again which of course frightens me to the core. I contacted Dr. Calabrese of Skylands Pediatrics to provide more information to our PikeMoms.com users on these types of seizures because I'm afraid pediatricians are not doing a good enough job educating parents and warning parents of the possiblity that this may occur - and if so what to do. If you too have had to live though this - I am so sorry. You are not alone - and thank goodness most of these are harmless.
Febrile Seizures
Written by Dr. Carol Calabrese, Skylands Pediatrics
Convulsions brought on by a fever in infants and small children are referred to as febrile seizures. These most commonly occur between the ages of 6 months and 5 years and are common in toddlers. The majority of children with febrile seizures have a temperature of greater than 102 degrees and the seizure will occur on the first day of the fever. Approximately one in every 25 children will have at least one febrile seizure and one third of these children will have an additional seizure before they outgrow them. The older a child is when the first febrile seizure occurs, the less likely that child is to have any additional febrile seizures.
During a febrile seizure, a child may stare, stiffen, shake; moving limbs on both sides of the body, eyes may roll. He will then become unresponsive for a short period of time. Most seizures last less than a minute, although some may be as long as 15 minutes.
Although febrile seizures can be frightening to parents, the majority of these type seizures are harmless. There is no evidence that febrile seizures cause brain damage. 95%-98% of children who have experienced these types of seizures do not go on to develop epilepsy. Children who are at risk for developing epilepsy include those that had a lengthy seizure, focal seizure (only one part of body affected), recurrence within 24 hours, or underlying neurologic abnormalities. Among children who don’t have any of these risk factors, only one in 100 will develop epilepsy after a febrile seizure.
During a febrile seizure, parents should stay calm and observe the child. To prevent injury, the child should be placed on a protected surface such as the floor, away from any dangerous objects. To prevent choking, the child should be placed on his side or the head should be turned to the side. Never place anything in the child’s mouth during a convulsion. If the convulsion lasts more than 10 minutes, the child should be taken to the nearest medical facility or call 911. Once the seizure has ended, the child should be taken to his doctor to check for the source of the fever. If the child shows symptoms of stiff neck, extreme lethargy or profuse vomiting, he should be evaluated immediately.
A child who has a febrile seizure usually doesn’t need to be hospitalized unless the seizure is accompanied by a serious infection or is prolonged. If the source of the infection cannot be determined sometimes a doctor may recommend that a child be hospitalized for observation.
If a child has a fever, most parents will use fever-lowering drugs such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to lower the fever, however there are no studies that prove that this will reduce the risk of a seizure. In general, physicians do not recommend treatment of simple febrile seizures with anticonvulsant medications because of their potential for side effects. If a child has a prolonged seizure or repeated seizures, he may be referred to a pediatric neurologist for further evaluation, studies and possible treatment.
Disclaimer: "Information contained in this site should not serve as a substitute for medical advice from your physician. Skylands Pediatrics is not responsible for subsequent links that may be provided. The mention of specific product names is used for example purposes only and is not to be construed as a product endorsement or treatment recommendation."
Dr. Carol Calabrese
Skylands Pediatrics
111 East Catharine Street
Milford, PA 18337
570-296-2737
www.skylandspediatrics.com
Dr. Calabrese is a Pediatrician with Skylands Pediatrics. The practice specializes in pediatric care (birth to 21 years old). Dr. Calabrese's undergraduate degree was awarded by Georgetown University College of Arts and Science. She received her medical degree from Georgetown University of School of Medicine. Dr. Calabrese is Board Certified in Pediatrics, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is former Chief of Pediatrics at Newton Memorial Hospital.
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