Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
The first febrile seizure is a frightening moment for parents. Most parents are afraid that their child will die or have brain damage. However, simple febrile seizures are harmless. There is no evidence that they 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.
Nervous system (neurologic) problems and a family history of epilepsy make it more likely that the child will develop epilepsy. The number of febrile seizures is not related to future epilepsy.
About a third of children who have had a febrile seizure will have another one with a fever. Of those who do have a second seizure, about half will have a third seizure. Few children have more than three febrile seizures in their lifetime.
Most children outgrow febrile seizures by age 5.
Complications
- Biting oneself
- Breathing fluid into the lungs
- Complications if a serious infection, such as meningitis, caused the fever
- Injury from falling down or bumping into objects
- Injury from long or complicated seizures
- Seizures not caused by fever
- Side effects of medications used to treat and prevent seizures (if prescribed)
Calling your health care provider
Children should see a doctor as soon as possible after their first febrile seizure.
If the seizure is lasting several minutes, call 911 to have an ambulance bring your child to the hospital.
If the seizure ends quickly, drive the child to an emergency room when it is over.
Take your child to the doctor if repeated seizures occur during the same illness, or if this looks like a new type of seizure for your child.
Call or see the health care provider if other symptoms occur before or after the seizure, such as:
- Abnormal movements
Agitation Confusion Drowsiness Nausea - Problems with coordination
Rash - Sedation
- Tremors
It is normal for children to sleep or be briefly drowsy or confused right after a seizure.
Review Date: 02/11/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
