Medicines for Febrile seizure

What it is

A febrile seizure (or febrile convulsion) is a seizure (fit) that can occur in a young child, usually between about six months and five years of age, when they have a high temperature — most often from a common infection such as a cold, flu, ear infection or other viral illness. During a typical (simple) febrile seizure, the child usually becomes stiff, may lose consciousness, and their arms and legs twitch or jerk; they may go red or blue in the face, and afterwards be sleepy or irritable for a while. It typically lasts a few minutes and then stops on its own. Febrile seizures are common, and, although they are extremely frightening for parents to witness, the reassuring facts are that a simple febrile seizure is usually harmless, does not cause brain damage, and does not mean the child has epilepsy (though a small number of children who have them may be slightly more likely to develop epilepsy, most do not). Many children who have one febrile seizure never have another, though some do have further ones with future fevers, particularly younger children. Because a first seizure needs to be checked (to confirm it is a febrile seizure and to find and treat the cause of the fever, and exclude other causes such as a serious infection), and because knowing what to do is important, febrile seizures are worth understanding.

How it is treated

The management of a febrile seizure has two parts: what to do during the seizure, and assessment and care afterwards. During a seizure, the key actions are to keep the child safe and to stay calm: protect them from injury (move away hard or dangerous objects, and do not restrain them), place them on their side (in the recovery position) if possible once the jerking allows, do not put anything in their mouth, and note the time (how long it lasts). Most simple febrile seizures stop on their own within a few minutes. It is important to call for emergency help (999) if it is the child's first seizure, if the seizure lasts more than five minutes, if the child does not recover properly afterwards, if they have difficulty breathing, or if you are worried they are seriously unwell. After a first febrile seizure, the child is assessed to confirm the diagnosis and to find and treat the cause of the fever (and exclude serious causes). Managing the fever and the underlying illness (for example with fluids, and paracetamol or ibuprofen for comfort) is part of care, though it is worth knowing that fever-reducing medicines do not reliably prevent febrile seizures. Parents are given advice on what to do if another seizure occurs. Most children need no ongoing treatment, and simple febrile seizures do not require anti-epileptic medication. The reassuring message is that febrile seizures, though terrifying to witness, are usually harmless and do not cause lasting harm or mean the child has epilepsy — the key is keeping the child safe during a seizure, knowing when to call 999, and getting a first seizure and the underlying illness checked.