Febrile Seizures Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Febrile seizures are convulsive conditions followed by a fever with a temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius, without being accompanied by disease outside the brain tissue.
This condition occurs in children aged between six months to five years. As many as 2-4 percent of cases of febrile seizures occur in children under the age of five. Of the total cases, most often occur in infants aged 12-18 months.
Although it looks scary, febrile seizures have a good prognosis (chance) of recovery and do not cause brain damage or affect intelligence.
It should also be noted that having febrile seizures does not mean that the child has epilepsy.
Febrile seizures are divided into two types, namely:
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Simple febrile seizures
Simple febrile seizures are the most common type of febrile seizure. Usually, the child loses consciousness and experiences rhythmic spasms or twitching of the arms or legs.
Most simple febrile seizures last 1-2 minutes. Nonetheless, seizures can last up to 15 minutes.
After a seizure, the child may appear confused or sleepy, but there is no weakness in the arms or legs. This type of seizure does not recur within 24 hours.
-
Complex febrile seizures
Complex febrile seizures are less common and may last more than 15 minutes or have more than one seizure in 24 hours.
The child may experience temporary weakness in the arms or legs after the seizure.
Febrile convulsion
| Medical specialist | Child |
| Symptom | Rapid rise in body temperature, convulsions during fever, child becomes stiff, arms and legs twitch, child loses consciousness, eyes roll back, foam comes out of mouth, may be accompanied by bedwetting |
| risk factor | Family history of seizures, age, the child has had previous febrile seizures, first febrile seizure when he was less than 15 months old, high fever, complex febrile seizures |
| How to diagnose | Look at the age and perform a physical examination |
| Treatment | Treatment with drugs can only be given by a doctor |
| Drug | Paracetamol, ibuprofen, diazepam |
| Complications | Simple febrile seizures do not cause brain damage or affect a child’s learning ability |
| When to see a doctor? | Fever reaches 40ºC, seizure duration is more than 5 minutes, child has shortness of breath, child looks very sleepy or loses consciousness, vomiting, stiff neck |
Symptom
Febrile seizures usually last less than 5 minutes, with the following signs and symptoms:
- A rapid rise in body temperature
- Seizures with fever
- The child becomes stiff, the arms and legs twitch
- Child loses consciousness
- Eyes roll back and foam comes out of mouth
- May be accompanied by bed wetting
Reason
Usually, a body temperature that is higher than normal causes a febrile seizure. The following fever triggers can cause seizures in children:
- Infection: Febrile seizures can occur as a result of a fever accompanied by a bacterial or viral infection
- Immunizations: Although rare, febrile seizures can occur as a side effect of certain vaccines, especially after measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccination. Fever usually occurs 8-14 days after injection
Risk Factors
Several risk factors can increase the occurrence of febrile seizures, including:
- Family history of febrile seizures
- Age, step disease is more common in children aged 6 months to 5 years
- History of previous febrile seizures
- History of having the first febrile seizure when he was less than 15 months old
- History of complex febrile seizures
- High fever
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is established by looking at the age of the seizure, the temperature during the seizure, and a history of seizures without previous fever. Steps do not occur in children under 6 months and over 5 years.
Diagnosis can also include:
- Blood tests can be done to find out the infection that causes the fever
- In addition, examination of cerebrospinal fluid is carried out to establish or rule out the possibility of meningitis
- Other tests such as a brain wave test (EEG) or imaging tests (Brain CT/MRI) are only done if there are accompanying symptoms of nervous disorders or suspicion of other brain disorders
Treatment
While steps often don’t cause lasting problems, there are some important steps to take when your child does.
To protect children from injury, here’s what parents can do at home:
- Lay the child on a safe place, for example, on the floor. This is useful to prevent the child from falling when a seizure occurs
- Turn the child’s body on his side so as not to choke on his saliva or vomit.
- Don’t put anything in your little one’s mouth
- Loosen children’s clothing
- Count how long the seizure lasts and watch the child’s behavior during the seizure
After the febrile seizure ends, immediately take the child to the doctor to find out the cause of the child’s fever.
Doctors will usually prescribe fever-reducing drugs, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, to reduce fever which can cause seizures.
If your child comes in with a seizure, the doctor or nurse will usually give an anti-seizure drug (diazepam) through the child’s rectum.
In addition, the doctor/nurse will also provide oxygen if necessary.
Generally, febrile seizures do not require hospital treatment. However, if a complex febrile seizure occurs, hospitalization will be needed to find the cause of the infection.
Prevention
Even though you can’t prevent febrile seizures, there are a number of things you can do to reduce your child’s chances of getting a fever, namely:
- Give children febrifuge when they have a fever
- Don’t wear thick clothes when your child has a fever
- Give your little one lot of fluids to prevent dehydration during a fever
- Immediately treat any infection that may be causing the fever
It should be noted that giving fever-reducing drugs when a child is sick does not prevent febrile seizures.
Most febrile seizures have no long-term effects on the child. Usually, it is not advisable to give anti-seizure medications to prevent future seizures.
Complications
Febrile seizures are not the same as epilepsy. Simple febrile seizures don’t cause brain damage or affect your child’s ability to learn.
If febrile seizures occur before 12 months of age, there is about a 50 percent chance that febrile seizures will recur at a later date.
Children with recurrent febrile seizures or seizures that last longer than 15 minutes are more likely to develop epilepsy later in life.
When to See a Doctor?
Immediately take your child to the doctor or hospital if you find the following symptoms:
- Fever reaches 40ºC
- Seizure duration of more than 5 minutes
- Your child has shortness of breath
- Your child looks very sleepy or has lost consciousness
- Vomit
- Stiff neck