Help, what should I do during a febrile seizure?
Young children are susceptible to febrile seizures when they have a fever. It's an incredibly frightening sight because during a febrile seizure, a baby makes jerking movements, the eyes roll back, and breathing becomes difficult. It resembles an epileptic seizure and looks serious, but generally, it is not. 5% of children experience a febrile seizure at some point. How can you, as a parent, avoid going into full panic mode and respond appropriately? Read it here.
Symptoms
A febrile seizure occurs when your child's temperature rises rapidly. This causes a kind of short circuit in the brain. As a result, your child becomes unconscious and starts shaking violently. The skin color may also turn blue or gray. Febrile seizures typically occur only in children under 5 years old and are almost always harmless.
What should I do if my child has a febrile seizure?
- (Have someone) call 112
- Stay calm
- Ensure your child cannot hurt themselves
- Place your child on their side after the seizure
The only thing you can do as a parent when your child has a febrile seizure is to stay calm and make sure they cannot hurt themselves. Call 112 and place your child in the recovery position after a seizure so they can breathe freely. The emergency center can also tell you what to do. Has the febrile seizure passed? Never give aspirin to your child, as it can cause severe complications in children. Paracetamol is allowed but does not prevent febrile seizures. After a febrile seizure, contact your doctor to investigate the cause. Usually, it is a harmless viral infection, but the doctor will always check for signs of meningitis as a precaution.
Can a febrile seizure be dangerous?
A febrile seizure can be dangerous if the cause is meningitis. This can be indicated by blue spots appearing on the skin. Readherethe story of a mother who lost her son to meningitis. She wants all parents to know the following:“Watch for spots when your child is sick. The spots that appear are sometimes called blue measles: they are relatively large blue spots. I saw them with my own eyes but did nothing about it. I don't know if Fabian would still be alive if I had called the doctor immediately upon seeing the spots. And I will never know. But please pay attention. Meningitis is a wolf in sheep's clothing.”
What are the consequences of a febrile seizure?
In most cases, a febrile seizure resolves on its own within 5 to 15 minutes and is relatively harmless. It looks intense for parents, but a febrile seizure generally does no harm: it will not damage the brain. However, the likelihood of recurrence is 35% according to doctors, so there is a chance it may happen again. Although a febrile seizure resembles epilepsy, it is not a precursor. Research shows that the chance of developing epilepsy later is minimal (0.5% - 1%). Whether this occurs is also related to epilepsy in the family.
During the Baby Care and First Aid course, attention is given to febrile seizures. Would you like to learn from a professional what to do in the event of a febrile seizure, as well as other (common) accidents involving babies and children? Discoverhere our range of first aid courses or register directly for acourse near you.