It can sometimes be difficult to get a urine sample from young children, so it may have to be done in hospital. Further testing and observation in hospital is also usually recommended if your child's symptoms are unusual or they're having complex febrile seizures, particularly if they're younger than 12 months old.
The cause of febrile seizures is unknown, although they're linked to the start of a high temperature fever. There may also be a genetic link to febrile seizures, as the chances of having a seizure are increased if a close family member has a history of them.
In most cases, the child's high temperature is caused by an infection. Common examples are chickenpox , flu , a middle ear infection or tonsillitis. About 1 in 3 children who have had a febrile seizure will have another seizure during a subsequent infection.
This often happens within a year of the first one. It's not recommended that your child is given a prescription of regular medicines to prevent further febrile seizures. This is because the adverse side effects associated with many medicines outweigh any risks of the seizures themselves. Research has shown the use of medicines to control high temperatures is not likely to prevent further febrile seizures.
However, there may be exceptional circumstances where medicine to prevent recurrent febrile seizures is recommended. For example, children may need medicine if they have a low threshold for having seizures during illness, particularly if the seizures last a long time. In this case, your child may be prescribed medicine such as diazepam or lorazepam to take at the start of a fever.
Children who've had a febrile seizure after a routine vaccination — which is very rare — are no more at risk of having another seizure than children who had a seizure because of illness. Discuss this with your GP or hospital emergency department.
A fever is the body's natural response to infection, and it is not always necessary to reduce a fever. However, if the fever is making your child miserable, you can help them to feel more comfortable by following the advice in our fact sheet Fever in children.
If my child has a febrile seizure, does that mean they have epilepsy? Febrile seizure are fits or seizures that occur only with a fever. Children with epilepsy have repeated seizures without fever. Even if your child has many febrile seizure, it still does not mean they have epilepsy.
Children who have simple febrile seizures do not have an increased risk of epilepsy. No matter how dramatic and frightening febrile seizures may look, they do not cause brain damage.
Even very long seizures lasting an hour or more almost never cause any harm. About one in three children will have more febrile seizures with future febrile illnesses. Your child will outgrow the tendency to have febrile seizures by the time they are about 6 years old.
If your child has experienced a febrile seizure, it is important for you to learn what to do if your child does have another. Can I prevent my child from getting a febrile seizure by giving them paracetamol or ibuprofen? Even though these medicines may help to reduce a fever, if your child is going to have a febrile seizure, then it will happen. There is nothing you can do to prevent it. We acknowledge the input of RCH consumers and carers.
To donate, visit www. This information is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your doctor or healthcare professionals. Febrile seizures are provoked seizures and don't indicate epilepsy. Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures caused by abnormal electrical signals in the brain.
The most common complication is the possibility of more febrile seizures. The risk of recurrence is higher if:. Most febrile seizures occur in the first few hours of a fever, during the initial rise in body temperature. Giving your child infants' or children's acetaminophen Tylenol, others or ibuprofen Advil, Motrin, others at the beginning of a fever may make your child more comfortable, but it won't prevent a seizure.
Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 3, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin.
This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in such children. Rarely, prescription anticonvulsant medications are used to try to prevent febrile seizures.
However, these medications can have serious side effects that may outweigh any possible benefit. Rectal diazepam Diastat or nasal midazolam might be prescribed to be used as needed for children who are prone to long febrile seizures.
These medications are typically used to treat seizures that last longer than five minutes or if the child has more than one seizure within 24 hours. They are not typically used to prevent febrile seizures. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.
Ages and Stages. Healthy Living. Safety and Prevention. Family Life. Health Issues. Tips and Tools. Our Mission. Find a Pediatrician. Text Size. Febrile Seizures. Page Content. Place her on the floor or bed away from any hard or sharp objects. Turn her head to the side so that any saliva or vomit can drain from her mouth. Do not put anything into her mouth; she will not swallow her tongue. Call your child's doctor.
If the seizure does not stop after 5 minutes, call or your local emergency number.
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