If you have experienced your child having a seizure due to a fever, you can understand how distressing it can be. When seeing your child convulsing with a stiff body and their mouth twitching, many parents instinctively try to insert an object into the child's mouth or finger to prevent biting the tongue, even if it means getting bitten. The shock can make it feel like your heart stops, leaving you unsure of what to do. Some children may even turn pale or seem to stop breathing.
Why Do Children Have Seizures When They Have a Fever?
Children's brains are delicate and still developing. Although the brain cells and nerve tissues continue to grow after birth, the brain will not fully mature until around the age of 6. Because the brain of a young child is more sensitive, a rapid rise in body temperature can trigger a seizure. Genetic factors can also play a role, as children of parents who have febrile seizures are more likely to have seizures when they have a fever.
Febrile seizures are quite common, occurring in about 2-5 children per 100. Most of these seizures occur in children between the ages of 3 months and 5 years, especially between 1 and 2 years old. The majority of these seizures are caused by viral infections of the upper respiratory tract, including middle ear infections.
Whenever your child is sick or has a fever, you should administer fever-reducing medicine and wipe their body down to bring the fever down. Always have paracetamol (acetaminophen) available at home, so it can be given immediately when your child has a fever. Properly administering the medication at the right intervals (every 4 hours) and using appropriate cooling measures can help reduce the fever. Remember, even at night, do not forget to continue giving fever-reducing medicine and wiping the child’s body down, as febrile seizures are more likely to occur at night.
About one-third of children who experience a febrile seizure are at risk of having another one, especially those in their first year of life. Pediatricians may prescribe anticonvulsant medication to help prevent recurrence. However, these medications should be used carefully under medical supervision. In some cases, children may need to take anticonvulsant medication continuously.
In general, a febrile seizure does not lead to any brain damage. The child will return to normal once the fever is treated and the child recovers. There is no long-term impairment in intellectual abilities or development.
EEG is used to examine the electrical activity in the brain of a patient with epilepsy, including those who experience seizures due to fever. It may also be used for children who experience prolonged seizures (lasting more than 15 minutes), seizures affecting only part of the body, multiple seizures during one fever episode, or seizures occurring more than 24 hours after a fever begins. The EEG can identify any abnormalities in the brain that might be triggered by the fever and cause seizures.
When Your Child Has a Fever and Seizure: Stay calm, lay the child on their side to prevent the tongue from blocking their airway, use a damp towel to reduce the fever, and take your child to see a pediatrician.
