Febrile seizures
Febrile seizures are convulsions brought on by a fever in infants or small children. During a febrile seizure, a child often loses consciousness and shakes, moving limbs on both sides of the body. Less commonly, the child becomes rigid or has twitches in only a portion of the body, such as an arm or a leg, or on the right or the left side only. Most febrile seizures last a minute or two, although some can be as brief as a few seconds while others last for more than 15 minutes.
Causes[edit | edit source]
The cause of febrile seizures is fever in small children or infants. The seizures occur in response to a spike in body temperature, often from an infection. Infections that increase body temperature can come from any source, such as the common cold, ear infections, or a viral or bacterial illness.
Symptoms[edit | edit source]
The symptoms of febrile seizures include:
- High fever
- Loss of consciousness
- Shaking, often on both sides of the body
- Becoming rigid or having twitches in only a portion of the body
Diagnosis[edit | edit source]
Febrile seizures are diagnosed by a healthcare provider. The provider will ask about the child's medical history and symptoms, and will perform a physical examination. The provider may also order tests, such as blood tests or a lumbar puncture, to check for infections.
Treatment[edit | edit source]
Treatment for febrile seizures focuses on bringing down the child's fever. This can be done with fever-reducing medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If the child has an infection, the provider may also prescribe antibiotics.
Prevention[edit | edit source]
Prevention of febrile seizures involves reducing the child's fever as soon as it begins. This can be done with fever-reducing medications and by keeping the child cool.
See also[edit | edit source]
Febrile seizures Resources | |
---|---|
|
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD