Febrile Convulsions in Children

Today we are going to talk about febrile convulsions. It may or may not be something you’ve heard of, but it’s a relatively common part of childhood. 1 in 30 children suffer a febrile convulsion at some point between the age of 6 months and 6 years and it can be hereditary.

Today we will go through what they are, what you can do and symptoms of a febrile convulsion.

Febrile convulsion basically means hot (febrile) fit (convulsion). It happens when your child’s temperature shoots up, often out of nowhere, with no pre-warning and the child actually goes into a seizure because their body can’t cope with the temperature going up so high so quickly. It is all about the speed of the temperature rising.

As mentioned earlier, 1 child in 30 will have a febrile seizure at some point in their life. Although it looks like an epileptic seizure, it is actually not harmful to your child. It looks very frightening.

Just remember that if your child suddenly has a seizure, it is highly unlikely to be an epileptic seizure because they are relatively rare in children, and it’s much more likely to be a febrile seizure.

Once your child has recovered, it is a good idea to take your child’s temperature, once the seizure has stopped and your child is still and calm. This can be a vital piece of information for the doctor.

Febrile convulsions commonly happen between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. It is created by high temperature.

When a child is brought to the emergency department with a febrile convulsion, we are less concerned about the convulsion than trying to figure out where that temperature is coming from.  We want to find the source of the infection.

Below are some of the signs and symptoms to look out for and pointers on what to do if your child has a febrile convulsion.

Signs and symptoms of a febrile convulsion:

• During the febrile convulsion, a child may lose consciousness, they’ll stiffen and jerk, they may go red or blue in the face.

• May last for several minutes.

• Once the convulsion stops, your child will regain consciousness, they might be sleepy and irritable afterwards.

• Your child may have a temperature

• They will often occur without the parent knowing there is anything wrong.

Febrile convulsions are normally very short lived, and the child is still breathing although they may change colour during the seizure

Giving paracetamol and ibuprofen to your child will not stop a febrile convulsion.

What can you do during a febrile convulsion:

• There is nothing you can do to make the convulsion stop, and you also shouldn’t try to stop it.

• Stay CALM.

• Remember if your child suddenly goes into a seizure, it is highly likely to be a febrile convulsion, that while it looks really scary, won’t hurt your child.

• Try to place your child on a soft surface. If they are having a convulsion on a hard floor, then instead of picking them up, get sofa cushions or blankets and bring them to your child and roll them onto them.

• Try and watch exactly what happens so you can relay it to the doctor.

• The official guidelines suggest taking pictures and/or videos

• Try to time exactly for how long the convulsion is going

• Don’t try to restrain your child, this could actually do more harm than good.

• Don’t put anything in their mouth, especially not your fingers

• Don’t put your child in a bath. This will not bring their temperature down. We have to remember that fever comes from the brain, telling the body to heat up, so cooling the skin down is not going to help at all.

• The first time your child has a febrile convulsion – call an ambulance – this will help make sure what this is. It might be that subsequent febrile convulsions do not need an ambulance, this will come from your confidence and education you receive from the emergency department.

• If you do not go to the emergency department, then present to your GP because you need to find out where the fever is coming from.

• If your child has had a febrile convulsion and they’ve come around and they seem alright, it might be okay to take them to the emergency department or the doctor in your car if there is 2 of you because febrile convulsions usually don’t happen back to back.

Febrile convulsions are normally very short-lived, and your child will be breathing

When to call an ambulance:

• If it is your child’s first convulsion – always call an ambulance.

• If the convulsion is a subsequent convulsion and it lasts more than 5 minutes

• If your child does not wake up after they’ve had the convulsion

• If your child does not look well after the convulsion – trust your instinct and remember it is never wrong to call an ambulance.

Sometimes when children have long convulsions they might be watched in hospital for a while thereafter.

You would look after your child just the same way you would if they had an ear infection.

Resume your normal routine, there is nothing special you need to do. They might be cranky for a day or two because they are not feeling well and they had fevers, but they should be going to sleep their normal time.

Remember that bed or cot is actually a very safe place for a child who may have a convulsion that we didn’t even know about. I am sure there’s been many children that have had convulsions in their beds or cots and we get to them afterwards when they cry out- so don’t be afraid to put them to bed.

Giving paracetamol and ibuprofen to your child will not stop a febrile convulsion

Your child may never experience a febrile convulsion, but it is really helpful to know what it is because it can be terrifying if you don’t know.