Do you know what to do when your child has febrile seizure?

Recently, I witnessed a case of febrile seizure. For any parent, the first time seeing this can be very frightening. Although febrile seizure do not cause any harm in most cases and it does not mean the child has more serious long-term health problem, however, it is a good idea for parents to be aware of it and be prepared to have the proper medications at home to bring down the fever.

First of all, it is important to know that febrile seizure is not the same as epilepsy. Drugs for epilepsy are not used to treat febrile seizure.  Febrile seizures occur most often in children between 9 months and 5 years.   It usually occurs within the first 24 hours of an illness, such as ear infections, a cold or viral infection.  Any illness that causes a high temperature fever can cause a febrile seizure. Note that the old Chinese habit of putting heavy blankets on children with high fever to ‘get a good sweat out of them’ may not be suitable for small children, as this may contribute to a high temperature fever.

When a child is having febrile seizure, they may have some or all of the following symptoms: Eyes rolling or limbs stiffening, crying or moaning, muscle tightening, vomiting or biting the tongue, body jerking.  If the child was standing, he or she may fall and may pass urine. Even when a parent is talking to them or calling their name, the child may not respond. Sometimes, they may even stop breathing. This is why it is very important for the parent to know what to do.   

During febrile seizure, it is safest to leave the child on the floor. Remove objects that may cause injury. If the child vomits or if the tongue is blocking the airways, turn the child to the side on the stomach.

The old Chinese habit of putting something inside the mouth to preventing the child from biting his/her tongue is NOT recommended.

Do NOT try to force anything into the child's mouth to prevent biting the tongue, as this increases the risk of injury. Do NOT try to restrain your child or try to stop the seizure movements.

To bring the fever down, insert Acetaminophen suppository into the child's rectum. Oral medication may lead to vomiting or choking.

Custom Care Pharmacy carries ACET 160mg suppositories $8.49 and ACET 120mg suppositories for infants $7.29  

Use cool packs of cool washcloths on the child's forehead to bring down the temperature.  Sponge the rest of the body with lukewarm (not cold) water. Cold water or alcohol may make the fever worse.

Custom Care Pharmacy carries "Be Kool" Mickey Mouse Soft Gel adhesive sheets for immediate cooling relief from fever. $3.39 per box of 4 sheets

When the seizure subsides, it is important to try and find out the cause of the fever and see a doctor as soon as possible. You should consider driving the child to an emergency room even if the seizure is over. Although Meningitis causes less than 0.1% of febrile seizures, it is important to rule it out especially for children less than 1 year old.