What are febrile fits?
Febrile seizures (febrile convulsions) are fits that can happen when a child has a fever. They most often happen between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. It can be frightening and distressing to see your child having a seizure, particularly if it’s their first seizure.
How do you treat febrile fits?
Rectal diazepam (Diastat) or nasal midazolam might be prescribed to be used as needed for children who are prone to long febrile seizures. These medications are typically used to treat seizures that last longer than five minutes or if the child has more than one seizure within 24 hours.
What are the 3 signs and symptoms of a febrile convulsion?
The symptoms of febrile convulsions include:
- loss of consciousness (black out)
- twitching or jerking of arms and legs.
- breathing difficulty.
- foaming at the mouth.
- going pale or bluish in skin colour.
- eye rolling, so only the whites of their eyes are visible.
- your child may take 10 to 15 minutes to wake up properly afterwards.
How do you prevent febrile fits?
How are febrile seizures treated? Febrile seizures cannot be prevented by giving the child lukewarm baths, applying cool cloths to the child’s head or body, or using fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).
What are fits?
Fits are an abnormal electrical activity in the brain that occurs quickly. It can go almost unnoticed or, in severe cases, it can cause unconsciousness and seizures, when your body shakes uncontrollably. Fits usually come on suddenly. Duration and severity can vary. Fits can happen just one time or repeatedly.
What causes fits in a child?
Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion. But when a child has 2 or more seizures with no known cause, this is diagnosed as epilepsy.
Why are babies born with seizures?
Neonatal seizures have a variety of causes. These include: Lack of oxygen before or during birth due to placental abruption (premature detachment of the placenta from the uterus), a difficult or prolonged labor, or compression of the umbilical cord.
How can I prevent my baby from having seizures?
Place the child on a soft surface, such as a bed. Prevent choking by laying the child on his or her side or stomach. Ensure that the child is breathing adequately. Never place anything in the child’s mouth during a convulsion.
What causes fitting in babies?
Baby seizures happen when an abnormal extra burst of electrical activity occurs between neurons, or brain cells, in a baby’s brain. These can happen for many reasons. Causes may include brain injury, infection, and underlying health conditions, such as cerebral palsy.
Can overheating cause seizures?
Many scientific studies have shown that there is a link between changes in temperature and seizures. In summer, you may spend a lot of time in air-conditioned rooms, then go outdoors into 80-degree heat. That sudden change in temperature could cause a heat seizure.
Can fever cause fits?
Febrile seizures are seizures or convulsions that occur in young children and are triggered by fever. The fever may accompany common childhood illnesses such as a cold, the flu, or an ear infection. In some cases, a child may not have a fever at the time of the seizure but will develop one a few hours later.