What are febrile seizures?

It is not exactly clear why some children tend to have febrile seizures and others don't. The tendency to have febrile seizures may run in families (be passed on from parents to children through their genes).

Although the symptoms of febrile seizures can be very alarming and worrying, they are only very rarely caused by a serious condition such as meningitis. Vaccines hardly play any role either.

Simple febrile seizures usually don't last more than 3 to 4 minutes, and in rare cases up to 15 minutes. They don't occur again within the next 24 hours. Particularly the first time a child has a febrile seizure, it's important to call the emergency services and ask for an ambulance. That way the child can be examined immediately in order to rule out other causes. The emergency telephone number is 112 in Germany and many other European countries, and 911 in the U.S.

Complex febrile seizures last longer than 15 minutes. The muscle spasms usually only occur on one side of the body. The child may have a further seizure within the next 24 hours. If a child is having a complex febrile seizure of if the child is under three months old, it's important to call the emergency services and ask for an ambulance. The emergency doctor can then give the child anticonvulsant medication which normally stops the seizure soon after.

Parents can help their child by

• remaining as calm as possible themselves,
• staying with the child and comforting them,
• leaving the child in a lying position rather than holding them tight or shaking them,
• preventing injury: Blankets and pillows can help to prevent the child from hurting themselves – for instance, if their arms and legs bump against the bed or wall;
• laying the child on their side so it is easier to see their face clearly and saliva can flow out of their mouth.

It is also important not to give the child anything to eat or drink during a febrile seizure!

Up to 30 out of 100 children have another febrile seizure within one year of their first one.

Some parents are quick to give their child fever-reducing medication to try to prevent febrile seizures. But research suggests that fever-reducing medication can't prevent febrile seizures.