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Febrile Seizures(Fever Seizures)Pronounced: FEEB-ril SEE-zherz
by
Cynthia M. Johnson, MA DefinitionA febrile seizure is a convulsion that may happen when a baby or young child has a fever over 100.4° F (38° C). CausesA high fever is thought to trigger the seizure. The fever is most often caused by infections. Rarely, some may be caused by fever after routine immunizations. Risk FactorsThis problem is more common in children who are 6 months to 3 years old. The risk may last until age 5. Other things that may raise the risk are:
SymptomsA seizure often lasts a few seconds up to 15 minutes. It may cause:
DiagnosisYou will be asked about your child's symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. This is often enough to make the diagnosis. More tests may be done to find the cause of the fever.
TreatmentFebrile seizures go away as children get older. The goal of treatment is to manage the fevers that cause them. This can be done with medicines, such as antibiotics.
A rectal valium gel may be used in children who have repeat seizures. PreventionThere are no guidelines to prevent febrile seizures. RESOURCES:Epilepsy Foundation http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org Healthy Children—American Academy of Pediatrics http://www.healthychildren.org CANADIAN RESOURCES:Caring for Kids—Canadian Paediatric Society http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca Health Canada https://www.canada.ca References:
Febrile seizure. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
https://www.dynamed.com/condition/febrile-seizure. Updated November 30, 2018. Accessed January 6, 2020.
Febrile seizures fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at:
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Febrile-Seizures-Fact-Sheet#3111. Updated August 13, 2019. Accessed January 6, 2020. Febrile seizures: what every parent should know. Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians website. Available at: ...(Click grey area to select URL) Updated March 1, 2014. Accessed January 6, 2020. Kimia AA, Bachur RG, et al. Febrile seizures: emergency medicine perspective. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2015 Jun;27(3):292-297. Last reviewed September 2019 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Kari Kassir, MD | |