Febrile Seizure - Somerset,NJ

Relax. I know how scary febrille seizures can be as my youngest had several last year with the flu, but they are harmless. Most commonly they are caused by a sudden spike in body temperatures. Mush less frequently they can be caused by serious issues.

There really is no need to see a neurologist. Have the pediatrician take a look him first before getting carried away. In the meantime, keep hydrating him well with clear liquids as this helps loosen the mucus. And know that coughs can last for 2 - 3 weeks after virus seems to be gone. HTH and good luck. Seeing your baby sick is one of the toughest things about parenting.

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One of my twins had a febrile seizure a week after his first b-day. Luckily, I wasn't there to witness it (I was at work) because my nanny said it was frightening to watch - - my son's eyes were rolling backwards, he was vomiting and blue. She had no idea what was going on and called the ambulance. By the time I arrived at the hospital, he was fine. They did some testing to make sure it was just a febrile seizure and not some other type of neurological problem. He has not had one since (knock on wood) and he will be 4 this summer. (so 3 years since the seizure).

It sometimes happens when the child's temperature spikes really quickly. So now, when he has a fever, we take extra precaution to medicate him and make sure the fever doesn't go up rapidly.

Some kids are just prone to febrile seizures and usually, if that is what they are, you don't even need to go to the hospital after the first one. Nonetheless, if it's happened a few times, it's a good idea to check with a neurologist to make sure it's not something else... Good luck....

My now 2 1/2 year old son had a febrile seizure at about the same age as your son. He went to bed and wasn't even sick and only a few hours later and he was having it. We called 911 and it was over by the time they got there butthey said we should go to the ER anyhow, to be sure there isn't an infection. He had a fever of 105 and no infection. They said the seizure occured because his fever shot up so fast. They said the same thing could happen if his temp drops quickly which is why you shouldn't put a child with a fever in a cold bath or use a cold compress. It should always be luke warm. Also, when my son gets even a slight temp now, we give him tylenol. The doctors don't always agree but I don't want to go through that again. During the hours/days after the seizure occured, we alternated tylenol and motrin to keep the fever down. Our doctor said a neurologist wasn't necessary at this time because it was fever related. He hasn't had one since, thank goodness. It is so scary!
Good luck and don't worry too much.
J.

Hi C.,

I know exactly how you feel. My daughter had one last month. The ironic thing is that I work with a group of neurologists who specialize in epilepsy. I do seizure recognition and first aid. Never in a million years did I think that I would have to perform it on my five year old daughter. Febrile seizures are common and are not harmful, but if you feel it is necessary, you can take him to a neurologist, prefably someone who specializes in seizures and epilepsy. Again, I probably wouldn't worry so much (I know that it is easier said than done) because it is fever induced and doesn't happen without a fever. If you need help finding a neurologist, please let me know, I'd be more than willing to make a referral.
Best,
D.

Hi C. let me just say I am sorry you had to go through this it is scary! I had this happen 1 year ago February and I had never even heard of them. I now treat my DD fever no matter how mild because the chance of reoccurring is there. I also found a some info on the internet that I will share. This is a blurb I read on the internet-

Approximately one in every 25 children will have at least one febrile seizure, and more than one-third of these children will have additional febrile seizures before they outgrow the tendency to have them. Febrile seizures usually occur in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years and are particularly common in toddlers. Children rarely develop their first febrile seizure before the age of 6 months or after 3 years of age. The older a child is when the first febrile seizure occurs, the less likely that child is to have more.

I hope you dont have to deal with anymore of them. I also think whatever puts your mind at ease do it if seeing a neurologist will do it go for it.

This is my story with my DD Have any of you had children who have had this? February 23 is a day I won't soon forget! My 18 month old was kind of clingy after her nap but we had a friend over and he was very touchy towards her and so she would come to me when she was feeling overwhelmed. Then at dinner she really didn't want to eat and we noticed she had a bit of a fever. She was getting 4 teeth at the time. We decided to hold off another hour to dose her so it would be right before bed. I was folding laundry and she just wanted to snuggle so we sat down and watched winnie the pooh. She fell asleep on me so I woke her up to get her into the bath and get ready for bed. Well I took her temp it was 101.3 I took her to the tub and put her in she didn't want to sit and I went to put the towel down and she fell I said are you ok? She looked very frightened so I went to pick her up and she was sort of rigid I knew something wasn't right so I scooped her out of the tub and layed her on the floor in the hall screaming for her Daddy he came up and took over she started to shake and move her arms a bit. I was on the phone with 911 and she stopped seizing then went very sleepy and when I tried to wake her she'd open her eyes but it seemed like she wasn't there. That freaked me out. The ambulance came and she still wasn't awake. We went to the hospital and around dunkin donuts in Endicott she started waking up oh I live near Agway in Endicott. Around Riverhurst cemetery she really woke up. We got to the hospital and they took her temp and it was 102 they took blood and tested for viral and bacterial they also took a urine specimen everything came back negative so they said it was caused by the fever coming on quickly. The hospital said this was a common thing well this is my 3rd child and I have always babysat since 12 yo. I did a lot of reading and had never heard of such a thing. Then of course I went on the internet and it does seem to be rather common. I really think it should it should be in a book somewhere!! I really thought the worst was going to happen! It looked that bad.

I know how scary it is to witness your child having a febrile seizure. When my son was about a year and a half he had one. We called 911 and rushed him to the hospital. Turns out they are very common. No we are quicker to react to his fevers. I was a first time Mom and was more worried about over medicating my baby and let his fever get too high before giving him tylenol. Now my son is a healthy very active 8 year old. Live and Learn!

My children never had febrile seizures but what caught my eye was the recurring cough, allergies, and ear infections. I would have your child checked for asthma. My daughter(8) has asthma and ever since she was an infant she would get fevers all the time. Usually nothing else but the fevers.
Maybe the two are not related at all but no child should be getting a recurring cough and ear infections unless there is an underlying issue.
Best of luck to you.

I have not experienced them with my son, but my niece had one and wound up in the ER b/c my sister didn't know what was going on. From what I remember, they are not as dangerous and you would think and they are quite common. Its due to a sudden high fever. Its very scary but you've made it through - I'm sure other moms who have recently gone through it will be very helpful to you! Peace!