Febrile Seizures

Full body convulsions that occur during a fever in infants and children in the age group of 6 months to 6 years old is febrile seizures. These seizures last for a few minutes with a fever temperature above 102° F (38.9° C). These febrile seizures are said to be twice as common in boys as compared to girls.

Febrile Seizures Symptoms

It is very alarming for a parent to watch their child undergoing seizures. During febrile seizures, the body of the child undergoes convulsions. The eyes tend to roll and the muscles tighten or shake a lot. A child may even moan or lose consciousness and have a fever of about 102° F (38.9° C). The child may even have trouble breathing. Febrile seizures are divided into two classifications explained below:

Simple Febrile Seizure
These are the most common types of febrile seizures in children. These seizures last for just a few seconds up to 10 seconds. They come and stop on their own.

Complex Febrile Seizures
The complex febrile seizures tend to last for more than 15 minutes and can occur more than once within 24 hours. A complex febrile seizure generally tends to affect only one side of the child's body.

Febrile Seizures and Epilepsy

There are different types of seizures and epilepsy makes people more susceptible to seizures. However, febrile seizures and epilepsy are two different conditions that can affect a child. Febrile seizure causes includes a feverish illness. Epilepsy on the other hand is due to brain abnormalities. Also, an epileptic seizure can occur even if an individual is not suffering from any form fever. Many parents think that fever, febrile seizures and epilepsy are interconnected or a child with febrile fever will develop epilepsy in future. The chances of a child developing epilepsy later in childhood after a case of febrile seizure is about 2 in 100 children. This shows that if a child develops febrile seizures, it does not always lead to epilepsy in the future.

Treatment of Febrile Seizures

When a child suffers from febrile seizures, do not try to give him fever medications to lower his temperature. Just make sure your child is placed in a safe bed and does not fall down and hit something hard. The child must be gently rolled over to his side to avoid choking. You should remain near your child and stay alert for any signs of breathing problems or change in color of the face. Never try to put anything in the child's mouth during a seizure. Also, do not try and restrain the child or place him in cool or lukewarm water to lower the temperature. If the seizures last for more than 10 minutes, call the emergency medical services for help.

Most of the time there is no additional treatment required for febrile seizures. After the seizures, make sure you take the child to a doctor for evaluation. It is possible to see febrile seizures in adults too. You may get extremely worried and alarmed when you see a seizure attack in your child. Stay calm and help your child get cured from the fever as well as febrile seizures. Most of the time, these seizures are not as dangerous as they look. They are harmless and do not indicate a long-term medical problem. However, there are exceptions and you should not leave even 1% chance to fate. Speak to a medical specialist and overcome the fears of that 1% chance of febrile seizures and epilepsy. This was all about febrile seizures symptoms. If you have any further doubts, speak to your child's doctor in detail about this condition.

Disclaimer
The information in this article is intended as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, the expert and professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a healthcare professional. The reader is advised to consult with a medical consultant before taking any home remedies, supplements or following any treatment advised. A medical consultant will be able to provide the reader with advice that is safe and effective for an individual's specific needs and diagnose a particular health problem based on their personal medical history.