Introducing
Your new presentation assistant.
Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.
Trending searches
In mild cases, the child's eyes may roll or his or her limbs may become rigid (stiff). During a febrile seizure, children are unable to respond (i.e., unresponsive) and may lose consciousness. If the child is standing, he or she will fall.
Other symptoms of febrile seizures include the following:
A febrile seizure refers to an event in infancy or childhood, usually occurring between six months and five years of age, associated with fever but without evidence of intracranial infection or defined cause. Seizures with fever in children who have suffered a previous nonfebrile seizure are excluded from this definition. Febrile seizures are not considered a form of epilepsy, which is characterized by recurrent nonfebrile seizures
Febrile seizures are convulsions that occur in a child who is between six months and five years of age and has a temperature greater than 100.4ºF (38ºC). The majority of febrile seizures occur in children between 12 and 18 months of age.
Febrile seizures usually occur on the first day of illness, and in some cases, the seizure is the first clue that the child is ill. Most seizures occur when the temperature is higher than 102.2ºF (39ºC).
Febrile seizures occur in 2 to 4 percent of children younger than five years old, but do not cause brain damage or affect intelligence. Having a febrile seizure does not mean that a child has epilepsy; epilepsy is defined as having two or more seizures without fever present.
Parental Education
Studies have shown that many parents witnessing a child's first convulsion think that their child is dying. Try to decrease parental anxiety by counseling. Reassurance and education is thus very important. Instructions on the future management of possible recurrences should be given with emphasis on practical issues of how to manage a child with febrile convulsion at the scene
Current recommendations include consideration of a lumbar puncture, especially in children younger than 18 months, because meningeal signs are less reliable in this group. The prevalence of meningitis among patients with a febrile seizure was 1 to 2 percent, and the absence of any remarkable findings on the history or physical examination makes bacterial meningitis unlikely as the cause of the fever and seizure.Other laboratory studies such as measurement of serum electrolyte levels, are most beneficial in situations with clear symptoms or signs of a concurrent illness, such as diarrhea or vomiting.
Hospital Admission Is individualized &
depends on the experience of the practitioner
After a first convulsion, the following factors favor admission :
1. complex convulsion:
- lasting longer than 15 minutes or
- with focal features or
- repeated in 24 hours of first convulsion or
- with incomplete recovery after 1 hour;
2. the pediatrician is suspicious of possibility of meningitis and encephalitis;
3. a child aged <18 months;
4. anxious parents or inadequate home care.
2. MMR:
There is no contraindication to Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination for children with history of febrile convulsion. Parents should be advised about the management of fever after giving MMR vaccination. Keep the child under close observation. Rectal diazepam is recommended to be given in case convulsion lasting >5 minutes occurs.
1. DTP:
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and poliomyelitis immunization have already been given to children at 2-4 months. Thus this should be before the usual onset of febrile convulsions. If a child has febrile convulsion before immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus due to delay in immunization, the child could be immunized provided the parents have been instructed about the management of fever and the use of rectal diazepam.
Febrile Convulsion should be distinguished from "convulsion with fever“ which includes any convulsion in any child with fever of any cause. Thus, children with meningitis, encephalitis, or cerebral malaria do not have febrile convulsions but have convulsions with fever. The same is true for children with severe neurologic disorders and/ or severe mental retardation.
In rare cases, a condition called status epilepticus can occur during a febrile seizure. Status epilepticus is a medical emergency in which a seizure lasts longer than 30 minutes or seizures recur without recovery for 30 minutes or longer. This condition is more common in children under the age of 1 year. Status epilepticus can cause brain damage and may be fatal.
Febrile seizures are classified as being simple or complex.
Simple — Simple febrile seizures are the most common. Typically, the child loses consciousness and has a convulsion or rhythmic twitching of the arms or legs. Most seizures do not last more than one to two minutes, although they can last up to 15 minutes. After the seizure, the child may be confused or sleepy, but does not have arm or leg weakness.
Complex — Complex febrile seizures are less common and can last more than 15 minutes (or 30 minutes if in a series). The child may have temporary weakness of an arm or a leg after the seizure.
After a simple febrile seizure, most children do not need to stay in the hospital unless the seizure was caused by a serious infection requiring treatment in the hospital.
After the seizure has stopped, treatment for the fever is started, usually by giving oral or rectal acetaminophen or ibuprofen and sometimes by sponging with room temperature (not cold) water.