View this tip sheet to learn the signs and symptoms, what to do and when to seek emergency. Go to the tip sheet on Kids Health. You immediately suspect a fever, but are unsure of what to do next. Should you get out the thermometer? Read on to get the fever facts and even take a quiz to see how much you already know about fevers.
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Learn more about caring for fevers. Kids and Broken Bones Young wrists, forearms and elbows are vulnerable to injury. Few kids grow up without breaking a bone. Prompt, expert care of fractures is necessary. Kids and Emergency Care Children require special treatment, not just for their size, but also the equipment needed to treat their conditions with regards to emergency care.
Kids and Concussions The word concussion comes from the Latin word to shake violently. Febrile Seizures Tip Sheet. Get the Fever Facts. Most parents are afraid that their child will die or will have brain damage. Thankfully, simple febrile seizures are harmless. Febrile seizures are brought on by the sudden stimulation of many brain cells at once. Experts argue over whether febrile seizures are triggered by the height of the fever or by the rate of rise.
I suspect that both play a role. Most febrile seizures occur well within the first 24 hours of an illness, not necessarily when the fever is highest. Often the seizure is the first sign of a fever, making febrile seizures hard to prevent. A simple febrile seizure stops by itself within a few seconds to 10 minutes, sometimes followed by a brief period of drowsiness or confusion.
Anticonvulsant medicines are generally not needed. A complex febrile seizure is one that lasts longer than 15 minutes, occurs in an isolated part of the body, or recurs during the same illness. During the seizure leave your child on the floor, although you may want to slide a blanket under him if the floor is hard. Move him only if he is in a dangerous location. Loosen any tight clothing, especially around the neck. If possible, open or remove clothes from the waist up. If he vomits, or if saliva and mucus build up in the mouth, turn him on his side or stomach.
Be sure that your child is breathing during the seizure. If he appears blue around his lips, you should call immediately. Focus your attention on bringing the fever down. Inserting rectal acetaminophen Tylenol is a great first step — if you happen to have some. Apply cool washcloths to the forehead and neck. Sponge the rest of his body with lukewarm not cold water. Cold water or alcohol may make him shiver and make the fever worse.
After the seizure is over and your son is awake, give him the normal dose of ibuprofen Motrin or Advil or acetaminophen Tylenol. Children should see a doctor as soon as possible after their first febrile seizure. If the seizure ends quickly, drive him to an emergency room when it is over. If the seizure is lasting several minutes, call to have an ambulance bring him to the hospital.
After the seizure, the most important step is to identify the cause of the fever. Most febrile seizures are brought on by fevers arising from viral upper respiratory infections , ear infections , or roseola.
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Meningitis causes less than 0. Of those who do, about half will have a third seizure. Few have more than three. Sometimes febrile seizures run in families. However, researchers have found that these medications may not necessarily prevent febrile seizures. Despite the question of their utility in preventing febrile seizures, these medications can make children more comfortable when they are feverish and are worth trying for that reason Eur J Pediatr Other things to try include sponging your child with lukewarm water.
Parental anxiety and family disruption following a first febrile seizure in childhood
Also give him cool liquids to drink — both to lower the temperature and to keep him well hydrated. Since febrile seizures can occur as the first sign of illness, prevention is often not possible. Neither an initial nor a recurrent febrile seizure suggests second-rate care of your child. Sometimes children who have had a febrile seizure are subsequently treated by their parents as weak or vulnerable children.
This does not help anyone. Simple febrile seizures should not hold a child back from his normal activities. There is no evidence that febrile seizures cause death, brain damage, epilepsy, mental retardation, a decrease in IQ, or learning difficulties. A small number of children who have had a febrile seizure do go on to develop epilepsy , but not because of the febrile seizures.
Children who would develop epilepsy anyway will sometimes have their first seizures during fevers. These are usually prolonged, complex seizures. The number of febrile seizures has no correlation with future epilepsy. The seizure can shake up the routine of being a parent. For parents of toddlers, the battles of the wills can get exasperating. The work can be exhausting. The seizure can shake off the layers of weariness and frustration to reveal the intense love you have for each other. Greene is a practicing physician, author , national and international TEDx speaker , and global health advocate.
Please if you have any adice let us know. His pediatrician referred him to a neurologist only because there is a family history of epilepsy. He ended up having another febrile seizure a year and a half after the second one.
Febrile Seizures Tip Sheet
But in between he started having absence seizures. Last month he had another EEG and had two seizures while hooked up so was diagnosed with epilepsy. On the comments about their children and grandchildren passing away. MY beautiful grand son who was only 23 months old when he died in his crib in the middle of the night. My daughter found him face down and he was ice cold. He had a history of febrile seizures and had all the tests done but the doctors said the same thing about this not being life threatening.
If we only knew the danger he was in everytime he was put to bed. Me and my wife are very scared everytime this thing happened to him. Is there any alternative way for parents like us to avoid this seizure? Hi, a 10 year old child could experience a febrile seizure? For me, he was dead, I did cpr, and he started to breath, was the worst experience of my life and I would like to know what was it to avoid it again in the future.
My son was 7m when he got first seizure and now he is 3 years old and got second seizure for 2 — 3min because of high fever we took him to hospital and gave treatment but not satisfied with the details got by doctor does this come again in future how to prevent this. Our 2 beautiful, healthy 2. She had experienced three febrile seizures over the year prior to her passing, but had not had one for about 8 months prior to what we believe was her final, fatal event. After the first seizure that we witnessed, we had her tested by a pediatric neurologist EEG and heart testing who explained she was just prone to febrile seizures, would likely have them again when she ran high temperatures.
Whens she was checked in the night, she was not hot, and tucked back in. In the morning, she was gone. Face down in a light blanket she was only 3 months shy of her third birthday and had slept with blankets for some time , with mucus at her mouth, very similar to how she was found in her first suspected seizure a year prior. Please be careful with your children when they have a history of febrile seizures. Generally not fatal does not mean they are never fatal. It is rare, but they can be fatal.
Absolutely crushed, feeling that we could have done more had we know there was a risk of death, and we were already doing A LOT. We were paranoid about it. Please pay a lot of attention and look into options for avoiding this kind of tragic outcome if your child has experienced repeated febrile seizures. She was 2 years, 2 months, 2 days old. She was healthy, developing normally. She felt warm before I put her to bed the night she died, but was acting perfectly normally. I gave her a tsp of ibuprofen to be on the safe side, with febrile seizure in the front of my mind.
I found her in her crib in the morning, obviously gone from us here on earth. I never even thought to ask the doctors, neurologist, etc about what if she has a seizure in the middle of the night. Heartbreaking that any parent has to go through this. My thoughts are with you. Our grand baby died last year the same way. The information given to parents are not right!!! We would have done more if we had known. I am so very sorry for your loss.
I know exactly how you feel. Thank u for alerting me. I am extremely sorry for Ur loss. God give u strength. My daughter had a first febrile seizures when she was 10 month. She catched viral infection and suddenly fever shoot to She completed her course of antibiotics as prescribed by doc to prevent secondary infection.
I am already giving her homeopathic medicines to boost her immunity. One thing I learnt about febrile is that as soon as the fever reaches 99 degree fehrenheet start givin medicine along with saltwater sponges. Please I hope this can help SM children. Moreover add garlic to each food and vit c to boost immunity. May God bless all children with health. They dint tell you anything but they do all the tests not helping you prevent them!!! How long did these kooks know that this was inevitable How do we prevent them??? More info and strategy is needthey cuz they dont care!
My grandson just had one this Friday that past he had two before that one when he was like 6 months than the next when he was 1. They keep saying this is normal.
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I have done a lot of research hoping to get answers and how to prevent it from happening again and nothing comes up. When he has these seizures the really scare me and I get upset because there is nothing I can do to stop it. Question what should I have the doctor test him for so I can rule out any possible medical issues. This is my problem right now. My son had two Febrile Seizures within a two week period. Now we are literally on pins and needles watching him and his body temperature like crazy.