What to do during a seizure
During a febrile seizure, place your child in the recovery position. Lay them on their side, on a soft surface, with their face turned to one side. This will stop them swallowing any vomit, it will keep their airway open, and it will help to prevent injury.
If your child is having a seizure, stay with them and make a note of how long the seizure lasts. If the seizure lasts for less than five minutes, you should phone your GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
If the seizure lasts for longer than five minutes, phone 999 and ask for an ambulance to take your child to the nearest hospital. While there is probably nothing seriously wrong with your child, it is best to be sure.
You should avoid putting anything in your child's mouth while they are having a seizure. While there is a chance that they might bite their tongue, any damage is normally not serious and will heal in a few days. Attempting to stop somebody biting their tongue, by placing your hand or an object in their mouth, could be dangerous both for you and them.
Treating the symptoms of feverParacetamol, or ibuprofen, have been shown to be effective in helping to reduce the symptoms of a fever. However, you should not give aspirin to children who are under 16 years of age. Also, to help lower your child's temperature, you should remove any unnecessary clothes and bedding.
The use of cold sponges or fans is not recommended because there is little evidence that they are effective, and they may cause your child discomfort.
Recurring febrile seizures
About 30% of children will experience a febrile seizure again, during another, subsequent infection. This often occurs within a year of the first episode.
Recurrence is more likely if:
- the first febrile seizure occurred when your child was younger than 18 months old,
- their first seizure was a complex febrile seizure,
- you have a family history of seizures, or epilepsy, and
- if your child attends a day nursery (as their risk of getting a common childhood infection is increased).
Using medicines to prevent further febrile seizures occurring is not normally recommended. This is because the adverse side effects associated with them outweigh any risks associated with the seizures themselves.
However, there may be exceptional circumstances - for example, children who have a low threshold for having seizures during febrile illness (particularly if the seizures are prolonged) may require medication. In this case, you may be given a medicine called diazepam, which can be given to your child at the start of a fever in order to prevent seizures occurring.
There is no evidence that vaccinations increase the chance of recurring febrile seizures.
