Healthy Lifestyle Radio Storytime

What should be done by a child with febrile seizures?

Parents should stay calm and carefully observe the child. To prevent accidental injuries, the child should be placed on a protected surface such as the floor or ground. The child should not be held or restrained during a convulsion.

To prevent choking, the child should be placed on their side or stomach. If possible, a parent should gently remove any object in the child’s mouth. Parents should never place anything in the child’s mouth during a seizure. Objects placed in the mouth can be broken and obstruct the child’s airway.

If the seizure lasts longer than 10 minutes, the child should be taken immediately to the nearest medical facility for treatment. After the seizure, the child should be taken to your physician to determine the source of the fever. This is especially urgent if the child shows symptoms of stiff neck, extreme lethargy, or abundant vomiting.

How to diagnose and treat febrile seizures?

Before diagnosing febrile seizures in infants and children, doctors sometimes perform tests to ensure that the seizures are not caused by something other than the fever itself. For example, if a doctor suspects that your child has meningitis (an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain), it is necessary to remove spinal fluid for signs of infection in the cerebrospinal fluid (fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord ). If there has been severe diarrhea or vomiting, dehydration may be responsible for seizures. In addition, doctors perform other tests to determine the cause of the child’s fever such as examining the blood and urine.

Usually a child with febrile seizures do not need to be hospitalized. If the seizure is prolonged or is accompanied by a serious infection, or if the source of infection can not be determined, the doctor may recommend that the child is hospitalized for observation.