|
Febrile seizures, or convulsions, are fairly common in children, age 6 months to 5 years. They are caused by a rapid increase in body temperature, in a short amount of time. It’s not how high the fever is, but the length of time that it took to get there; your child‘s temperature may rise rapidly from 98 to 102, causing a seizure, or he may have a temperature of 104, and not have a seizure. During the seizure, your child’s body will stiffen, and muscle spasms will cause shaking, or jerking of the arms and legs, your child will be unresponsive, and often stop breathing for a short time, making his lips turn blue. Your child may vomit, or be incontinent of urine or stool. The seizure lasts from 1 to 3 minutes, but because it is so scary to watch, it seems like it lasts for hours! It is important to keep your child safe and protect him from injury during the seizure. Do not try to place anything in his mouth, and do not try to restrain, or hold him down. Place him on a bed or on the floor, lying on his side, not on his back. By placing him on his side, you protect his airway, reducing the possibility that he may swallow saliva or vomit. After the seizure is over, your child will be sleepy, and sometimes confused or disoriented. This period might last about 1 hour. Please be in contact with your child’s pediatrician, who may examine the child in the office, or even send you to the ED. The physician needs to be sure there was not a source of infection that caused the fever, so some tests that might be ordered include, a blood count- a high white blood count indicates an infection; a urine test- again to look for white blood cells, indicating a urinary infection, a chest x-ray- looking for pneumonia, or even a spinal tap, if the child looks really sick- to look for meningitis. Febrile seizures are not a form of epilepsy, and do not cause permanent damage. Try to stay calm and remember the events, so you can tell your physician what happened. If the seizure lasts longer than 10 minutes, stops and starts again, or only one side of the body is affected, call 911; something else may be causing the seizures. Prevention of febrile seizures is difficult. Obviously, reduce exposure to germs. The best way to do that is to keep your child away from people who are sick, and use good hand washing techniques…remember? Wash for at least 15 seconds, scrubbing all surfaces of your hands. You may also use the waterless hand sanitizers, if you’re unable to wash. If a parent has a history of febrile seizures, it increases the likelihood that their children may also have them. And once a child has had one seizure, there is a good chance that they will have more. Take care and stay safe. Be thankful for all the blessings that God gives to you. Linda
|
Copyright Salem
United Church of Christ 2005 |