As parents, we don’t want to think about our children getting ill or requiring first aid, but it’s so important to equip ourselves with the knowledge of what to do in the event of an emergency. We caught up with Michelle from Daisy First Aid to discuss what to do in the event of a febrile seizure.
What is a febrile seizure?
The area of the brain that regulates body temperature is not fully developed until around 4 years of age. Babies and young children (most commonly aged between 1 and 4 years) can suffer seizures – also known as convulsions or fits – because of a spike in their temperature due to illness. Febrile seizures affect 1 in 20 children.
Typical causes of a sudden increase in temperature include ear infections and tonsillitis but may occur as a result of something as serious as meningitis. It is important to note that this is about how quickly your child’s temperature raises, not necessarily how high it is, so it can happen at a lower temperature than you may expect. A normal healthy body temperature is between 36-37.5 degrees celsius.
Signs of a febrile seizure
- Muscles in the body can become rigid
- Arching of the back
- Twitching limbs
- Violent, jerky (unusual) movements
- Eyes may roll
- Jaw clenched
- Lips can go blue
- Foaming of the mouth (sometimes bloodstained as a result of biting the tongue or cheek)
Treating a febrile seizure
Allow your child to fit, do not restrain them, protect the head, and call 999.
Remove clothing and bedclothes to cool the body down and open windows to allow fresh air to circulate.
Take care not to over cool your child or to cool them too quickly (no cold baths).
Monitor your child’s airway and breathing pattern.
The seizure may last up to 5 minutes.
Recovery
Your child should relax and recover consciousness – with their breathing settling back into a normal rhythm – within a few minutes.
Once they have stopped fitting, if your little one does not appear fully conscious, place them into the recovery position on their side (not in the hold that is close to your body as you will transfer more heat).
Your child may be temporarily unaware of their surroundings and may feel very tired, falling into a long deep sleep.
Whilst very scary to watch, febrile seizures are common and there are usually no lasting after-effects, but it is still important to get your child checked over by a healthcare professional after a fit, particularly if they are recurring.
You can read more about febrile seizures here.
