Spotlight On: Febrile Convulsions & Seizures
Did you know that 1 in 20 children experience febrile convulsions?
Stacey from Daisy First Aid Guildford & Redhill explains why children have febrile convulsions and what to do if your little one experiences one….
What are they?
The majority of parents have never heard of them unless they have witnessed their child have one or know someone that has. Most common in babies and children under the age of 5 years old, if a baby or a child get too hot – generally anything over 38 degrees, they can experience a seizure because their body is not able to cool them down sufficiently and their brain experiences an electrical disturbance as a result of the high temperature.
Signs of a febrile convulsion?
If your child is hot to touch and has a temperature over 38 degrees, a febrile seizure can follow 3 stages:
- Stiffness in the limbs, arching back, whole body turning rigid
- Physical convulsions – ranging from twitching limbs to uncontrolled jerky body movements, eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth (sometimes blood tinged), locked jaw
- Exhaustion – whole body stops moving and child becomes excessively sleepy and limp
What should I do?
Firstly, it is worth remembering that these convulsions are perfectly safe and on their own, they cause no lasting effect or damage for your child.
- While the convulsions take place, keep the child still and safe from hurting themselves, don’t restrain them in any way.
- Time the seizure – it should not last longer than 5 minutes, call an ambulance if it does or if they start another seizure shortly after one has ended.
- After the seizure, strip them off and get them cooled down with lots of natural airflow.
- Call an ambulance if it is their first ever seizure and put them into recovery position while you wait for an ambulance.
About Stacey:
Stacey is a mum and a qualified first aid trainer, who runs Daisy First Aid in Guildford & Redhill and the surrounding areas. 2 Hour family first aid classes are available across the UK.
Daisy First Aid Page link: www.daisyfirstaid.com/stacey-reigate