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When I found my daughter fitting in bed, it really scared me. She had been feeling a little under the weather and was hot to the touch when I put her to bed so I said to the Hubby that I would keep an eye on her and check her once
she had fallen asleep.
After about an hour I heard her groaning, now she often talks in her sleep but this noise was a little disturbing so I went to check if she was ok, I opened her bedroom door and peered into the dark room towards her bed and noticed that she was shaking so I walked over and pulled back her duvet to see her with her eyes open and staring and her body rigid with her arms and legs in spasm, I knew straight away that she was fitting as my sister suffers from epilepsy and I had witness quite a few of her fits but to see your own child fitting was terrifying, I sat with her and just kept calling her.
The Hubby had fallen asleep in front of the T.V but I didn't want to leave her in case she came too and I wasn't there so I called out for him but there was no reply so I sat and talked to her until the fit had finished and she responded to my voice, eventually the Hubby heard me calling and came to see what was wrong, I explained what had happened and he said we should call NHS Direct which I did while Hubby took her temperature (39.2) and reassured Amy that everything was ok,
I explained to the nursing advisor what had happened and he said we should give her some Calpol (Infant liquid paracetamol) and take her to A&E to get her checked out so we grabbed her bag which I always make sure is packed with everything that might be needed for an overnight stay (Hubby thought I was mad up until now) and drove to the childrens hospital which is only down the road.
We were seen immediately and they asked us to explain what had happened then gave her some infant Nurofen as her temperature was now over 40, stripped her down to her nappy and said we had to wait until her temperature had gone down, within an hour she was playing and back to her normal self as if nothing had happened so we saw the doctor again and they explained that she had had a febrile convulsion so I will share with you what they told us:
Febrile Convulsions.
- Febrile convulsions most commonly occur in children aged between 18 months and three years.
- Febrile convulsions are rare in children under 6 months and over six years.
- Any illness that causes a fever (high temperature) can cause febrile convulsions such as ear infections, coughs, colds, flu and other viral infections. Serious infections such as kidney infection, pneumonia etc are less common causes.
First aid for febrile convulsions.
- Note the time it started so that you can see how long it lasts for.Place
- Place child into the recovery position
- Do not put anything in the childs mouth but do remove anything that may effect breathing such as vomit or food.
- Do not shake the child
- After the convulsion has stopped try to lower the child's temperature by removing clothes and giving some paracetamol or ibuprofen as soon as the child is able to swallow.
Is it possible to prevent febrile convulsions?
Logic would possibly suggest that keeping a child's temperature down during illness would prevent febrile convulsions, However there is little scientific proof that this is so. It is unclear what triggers the body to convulse. It is possible that they may be caused by a body chemical released during feverish illnesses.
It is good practice though to try to keep a child cool during an illness by following these steps:
- Keep the child lightly dressed or take off all their clothes if the room is warm
- Give paracetamol (Calpol) or ibuprofen
- Give lots of cool drinks.
Stastistics of recurrence
- Only one convulsion happens in most cases
- In 3 in 10 children who have a febrile convulsion, a second may occur in future feverish illness.
- In less then 1 in 10 children who have a febrile convulsion, three or more further convulsions occur in future feverish illnessesA future febrile convulsion is more likely if the first occurs in a child younger then 15 months, or if there is a family history of febrile convulsions in close relatives such as mother,father or siblings.
- Once the child is 3 years old recurrence becomes less likely
Are febrile convulsions dangerous?
A convulsion can be very alarming for those who witness them but febrile convulsions are not usually dangerous. A child will recover fully afterwards.
However the child should be seen by a doctor afterwards to be checked over to rule out serious illness. An ambulance should be called if:
- The child does not improve quickly after a convulsion
- a convulsion lasts longer then five minutes
- another convulsion happens directly after the first has stopped
- the child has difficulty breathing
Is treatment needed?
No treatment is usually needed for the convulsion itself if it stops within a few minutes, However treatment may be needed if the convulsion lasts longer. for example a doctor may put diazepam liquid into the rectum where it is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and stops a convulsion.
Treatment may be given for the illness that has caused the high temperature.
Does my child have epilepsy?
No, the cause of the febrile convulsion is related to the feverish illness and not brain abnormality. Epilepsy causes convulsions without fever.
I hope this information helps people to understand febrile convulsions and give guidance on what to do if you witness your child having a convulsion, although at the time it is very frightening, it is short lived without any lasting effects and I am glad to say that the day after her convulsion my daughter was her usual happy chatty self.
(May 2007) (
Lexi xxx
