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Fever Seizures

Overview

Fever seizures (sometimes called fever convulsions or febrile seizures) can occur in children who have an increase in body temperature. You may not even know that your child has a fever. The increase in body temperature may happen at the same time as the fever seizure. Most children who have a fever seizure have temperatures above 102°F (39°C).

A seizure is likely to be fever-related if:

  • There is one seizure in a 24-hour period.
  • The seizure lasts less than 15 minutes.
  • The seizure affects the entire body, not just one side of the body.
  • The child is between 6 months and 5 years old.
  • The child doesn't have nervous system (neurological) problems.
  • The child has had fever seizures before.

Fever seizures affect 2% to 5% of children. Children can have another seizure. The chance of another fever seizure varies with age. About 30% to 50% of children who have a fever seizure will have another within a year. These seizures aren't a form of epilepsy, Opens dialog.

Children who are having a seizure often lose consciousness, Opens dialog and shake, moving their arms and legs on both sides of the body. Their eyes may roll back. They may stop breathing for a few seconds. They might also vomit, urinate, or pass stools. It's important to protect a child from injury during a seizure.

Fever seizures usually last 1 to 3 minutes. After a seizure, children may be sleepy. You can let them sleep, but check them often for changes in color or breathing or for twitching arms or legs. Children also may seem confused after a seizure. But their behavior and activity level should be back to normal within minutes of the seizure.

Fever seizures can be scary. But they usually aren't harmful to the child. They usually don't cause long-term problems, such as brain damage, intellectual disabilities, Opens dialog, or learning problems.

Current as of: December 20, 2023

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

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