“What should be my first steps if my child convulses? ”
Last night, my son had a fever and started to convulse while he was in bed. Like any other parent, I rushed to the hospital and brought him to the ER. But the doctor said that it's just a normal side effect of the fever. What should be the first steps I take if my child convulses from a fever?
3 Answers
even though febrile seizures in toddlers [up to 2 years old] have a benign (self limited course] recurrence, family history and older age puts the at higher risk for seizure disorder. Have a Valium suppository available
Call 911 and help, if available. Put your child on the floor away from objects that could hurt him. Check for breathing.
First, I am assuming, which I don't like to do, that your child is young, probably less than 5-6 years old. Febrile seizures, which is what you are describing, can happen to younger children, and often it's just a one-time thing. The next time your child has a fever, they may not have a seizure. Most children with this don't end up later in life needing seizure medicines. I am also assuming the doctor in the ER did some tests on your child, because some febrile seizures can be associated with serious infections such as meningitis. As an ER doctor, it is a decision we must make in each scenario, whether or not to do a lumbar puncture, or spinal tap (same thing), to rule out meningitis.
Directly to your question - first, do not try to put anything in your child's mouth; that will only increase the chance that you obstruct the child's airway. Make sure that the child is laying somewhere where the seizure will not cause them to injure themselves, such as a concrete floor. Then, just keep the child protected from injury and watch for a short time, watch exactly what type of movements they are making so you can describe them well to the ER doctor. Nearly all of these seizures will stop within a minute or so. If it continues for much longer than a couple of minutes, I suggest you call 911, as it may be something else that paramedics can start to treat. If it stops after one minute or so and your child becomes alert again, place them in a comfortable place, and give them tylenol and ibuprofen to decrease the fever. Take their temperature so you can tell ER staff. Those are about the only things you need to do at first. Then you should go to the ER, as long as the child is alert, like I said. If they aren't, call 911.
In the ER, tests should be done to rule out causes of the fever, such as meningitis, ear infection, etc. It is not a "normal" side effect of the fever. Most children who get a feverdo not have a seizure. But some do, and it is due to the fever, although this is not really well understood. It is believed to be somewhat hereditary, in other words, many children who have a febrile seizure have a relative who also had these when they were young. Typically, as the child ages, the chances of a febrile seizure decrease. Also, the degree of fever does not seem to matter. A child with a temp of 101F can have the same seizure as one with a temp of 104F. The primary thing, when you first see that your child is having a seizure, is to protect them from harming themselves further by falling or hitting their head, etc. That is your first priority.
Directly to your question - first, do not try to put anything in your child's mouth; that will only increase the chance that you obstruct the child's airway. Make sure that the child is laying somewhere where the seizure will not cause them to injure themselves, such as a concrete floor. Then, just keep the child protected from injury and watch for a short time, watch exactly what type of movements they are making so you can describe them well to the ER doctor. Nearly all of these seizures will stop within a minute or so. If it continues for much longer than a couple of minutes, I suggest you call 911, as it may be something else that paramedics can start to treat. If it stops after one minute or so and your child becomes alert again, place them in a comfortable place, and give them tylenol and ibuprofen to decrease the fever. Take their temperature so you can tell ER staff. Those are about the only things you need to do at first. Then you should go to the ER, as long as the child is alert, like I said. If they aren't, call 911.
In the ER, tests should be done to rule out causes of the fever, such as meningitis, ear infection, etc. It is not a "normal" side effect of the fever. Most children who get a feverdo not have a seizure. But some do, and it is due to the fever, although this is not really well understood. It is believed to be somewhat hereditary, in other words, many children who have a febrile seizure have a relative who also had these when they were young. Typically, as the child ages, the chances of a febrile seizure decrease. Also, the degree of fever does not seem to matter. A child with a temp of 101F can have the same seizure as one with a temp of 104F. The primary thing, when you first see that your child is having a seizure, is to protect them from harming themselves further by falling or hitting their head, etc. That is your first priority.
