QUESTION: This is the third time in as many months that my 4 year old son has had a seizure during an illness with high fever.
What am I doing wrong? Is there any chance that he will have some permanent damage? Please answer these very important questions for me.
ANSWER: Up to 5 percent of all children may experience a febrile seizure or convulsion (febrile means fever) by age five.
For most, the major side effect is scaring the dickens out of parents.
However, a convulsion can also be a symptom of a more serious condition, such as a brain infection.
Febrile seizures can either be simple (a single seizure) or complex (more than one or one that lasts longer than 15 minutes).
Most febrile seizures last less than five minutes and are associated with fevers above 102 F.
Removing excessive blankets and quilts may help to cool the child a bit and can help prevent seizures.
Usually, children who have febrile seizures are better by the time they see the physician; and aside from giving acetaminophen to reduce the fever, there is no treatment. Your child has had repeated febrile seizures and should be followed more closely.
Up to 40 percent of children who have one febrile seizure will have one again during a fever, usually within a year.
Your physician may discuss the advisability of your child taking anticonvulsant medications until age 5 or so to prevent future episodes. Only 2 percent of all children who have febrile seizures develop epilepsy and another 1 percent have nonepileptic seizures.
Occasionally, children are found to have mental retardation, coordination problems, or sensory or perceptual abnormalities after febrile seizures, but these problems probably existed before the seizure and are only noted because the child undergoes testing afterwards.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
