High Fevers with Seizure Activity in My 9 Mo. Old Daugher

I am so sorry to hear about your poor little one & yourself. Such a scary experience! I don't have much to offer since my daughter has not yet been sick (she is 11 months) but I just wanted to let you know that a friend of mine went thru this with her daughter & it happened a few nights before it was diagnosed as a bladder infection. So please have her checked for that especially if you bath your daughter in soap or bubbles & allow her to sit in it in the tub which can cause sensitive females-like myself-it runs in my family-an instant bladder infection. When my Mom found out I was sensitive to soaps down there -I'm not sure how she learned-it might have been thru my sister before me-getting an infection but I have never been able to bath with soap or any kind of scented bubble bath etc. I have used massengale, summers eve or phisoderm on that part of my body my whole life & do the same with my daugher-when I bath her I do not allow her to 'soak' in the bath water that washed her-I rinse as I go & refill...hope this helps to get you toward diagnosing the real issue. Hang in there & this too will pass. Just give that little angel all the love you can & keep close watch on that fever until you get thru this. Also keep her well hydrated. Buy water with electrolytes or pedilite. Also when I had a high fever as a child my Mom would take alcohol on a wash cloth with water & do a rub down my whole body to bring the fever down...I have also heard cold baths...

When a baby is teething, it lowers their resistance and they are more likely to become ill. Some parents think that it is normal for a teething baby to have a fever and that they are not ill. Did your doctor tell you to give your baby a cool bath to lower her temperature? That worked for our four kids; a cool bath and tylenol. I hope everyone sleeps well tonight.
F.

Both of my children have had FEBRILE seizures. My son, who is now 14, had two when he was less than 3 years old, and my daughter, who is 3, had one about 1 1/2 years ago. The first time I was freaked out, but when it happened to my daughter most recently, I knew what to do. The babysitter called and said she was burning up hot, was weak, could not stand, and was shivering and shaking. She told me she'd wrapped my daughter up in a blanket and layed her down. That was the worst thing she could have done because, even though the child appears to be cold, and thinks they are cold, they are actually overheated. I told the babysitter to take off all of her clothes and I would be there immediately. When I got there (about 10 minutes later) she was already cooling down, and had stopped shaking.

So please remember, do not increase your childs temperature in these situations by piling on clothes and blankets. Strip them down to their diaper and try to lower their temperature, via a cold cloth or Motrin, until you can get them to a doctor. Although they appear to be cold, they are not, and trying to "warm them up" can cause greater problems.

As horribly scary as they may seem, you will get through this and she WILL BE okay. I worried so much when my babies were in my womb, but not half as much as I did once they were born. Being a first time mom is both amazing and frightening but that's why we are all here for each other. You are most definately in my prayers!

My son used to spike high fevers every time he got an ear infection, which was often. He's now 32 and this is what we were told to do. First of all keep her in loose clothing - and no blankets. Give her baby Tylenol as often as allowed - don't wait until she spikes a fever to give it to her. If the fever gets to 103 - put her in a tepid bath (not cold - that will shock her system)...luke warm. You need to get her body temperature down. She won't like being put in cool water - they will often cry, but it is the best thing to do. This will require constant monitoring - so either you sleep with her or have her sleep with you. All this being said - there is a reason for her fever. Small children are often prone to ear infections - so she should be checked out by a Dr. asap. They will probably give her antibiotics if she has infection of some type. Good luck - motherhood is not for the faint of heart!

You have many responses, so I will keep this short. Febrile seizures are actually quite common in infants to about age 2 (about 10% of kids have them). I know they are quite scary, but there are usually no long term side effects. It is good to be vigilant about the level of fever (give cool bath right away to lower high temperatures -- don't wait for Tylenol or Motrin to start working, which can take 30 minutes). I had many when I was a child (and I am also an MD). Good luck with it. Be vigilant, but don't make yourself sick. It's not abnormal in young children, just scary for the parents. Good luck!

That sounds so scary! I have heard holding cut lemons in a cold compress at your child's feet will help pull the fever out of the body. The fever is serving a purpose, and will actually make her immune system stronger. But, the immediate concern is of seizures, so if you want to do something natural, I would try the lemon thing first.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

God Bless.

M. S

Hi J.,
My sister and I went through this exact same thing with my now 20 month old niece. What she has and most likely your daughter has is called fibrale seizures. We have gone to the doctor and have done much studying on it. The only thing you can do is wait it out. Most books and internet sites state a child will grow out of it after 5 years old. For now doctors have showed my sister how to break the fever before it becomes a seizure.(only if you catch it on time) They have shown her to use tylenol and motrin at the same time. Thank God we are going on a year and no seizure, but we are always prepared.

For now we all live with it and have come to an understanding we need to be prepared. My sister only leaves her with those who have been explained and know how to respond if she has a seizure with them.

We love her and understand the desperation you feel right now.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/febrile-seizure/DS00346

Everything will be ok.

I will keep both you and your daughter in my prayers.

Hi J.,

I know how hard it is when your child is sick.

I recently got involved with a company that has blankets that are made from far infrared material. Nasa developed them. When your body gets to hot the fibers open up and cools the body, when the body gets to cold the fibers close down and reflect your own body heat back into your body.

It is amazing. I have always tossed and turned since I was a young girl. My whole family sleeps on magnetics and far infrared blankets and it has made a difference for all of us and most of all it changed our moods. Everyone is nicer.

Water is very important also. Living water is the best.

If you want more info email me and I will send you information.

Good luck.

N. Marie

My prayers are with you and I hope your daughter doesn't experience andy more seizures.
I think you had received lots of great advice and support.
About your fear of not waking up tonight, I think you should either co-sleep or sleep in her room.
I co-slept anyway, but when my little one got sick it was great to have her right next to me. I sent my hubby to the guest room so we wouldn't be too crowded since she had a fever. It was great and it allowed for me to take her temp a couple times per night. My hubby and I took turns too.
The goal is to hear them. This is a time I wouldn't count on the monitor.
Good luck and again, you and your baby will be in my prayers.
Take care,
J.

Hi J.
My son had very high fevers & sometimes would have a seizure (Febral seizure) he did out grow them by the time he was 4. Keep your daughter cool, cool sponge baths, when she is running a fever. Even when she is running a low grade fever keep giving the tylenol. When she has another one count how long it lasts. If your pediatrian is not telling you this get a new one. My son did the typical body spasm. I had my son tested for all kinds of seizures just to be sure an MRI will make sure that she is not having brain seizures. Good luck

How scary-- big hugs to you and your little girl.

Hi J.,
I'm sorry to hear what you had to go through. We went through something similar, though my daughter was already 3 yrs old when she had her febrile seizure. It is still scary nonetheless. We were on vacation... and she spiked a fever through the night. We too, had to call 911 for her to be transported to the ER... and sounds like you too, the physicians were not much help. We were told to manage the fever... our pediatrician had us alternate with tylenol and motrin so that she always had something in her to keep the fever down. You may want to ask about that... I think babies can start taking motrin from 6 months of age, but I would ask to be sure. I kept wet towels on her chest and head to keep her cooler... and when her fever would start to climb, but she had already taken medication, I put her in a lukewarm bath to cool off her body. We came back home when she was stable enough to travel back... and her pediatrician saw her and she was diagnosed and treated for pneumonia. You may want to see if there is something else that is causing the fever if it doesn't stabilize or get better. I wish you the best and hope your daughter gets better soon. Best wishes to all of you.

J.,

I completely understand your dilema. My daughter at 15 months had seizures in response to a spiked fever. I know the fear and confusion associated with this experience. My advice is to ensure her fever does not elevate. This means purchasing baby medication and administer it as directed every 4-5 hours. Be mindful not to over medicate so do not give medication before the recommended time. Also in the future, and I am sure this goes without saying, keep a watchful eye on her whenever she gets sick or has a fever and administer fever reducing medication. J., I know this is a terrifying experience for you, but your daughter will be and is fine. Childhood fevers are common in response to fevers and no long term or even immediated damage will result. Good luck and she is in my prayers
- T.

Hi J.,
I see that you have received quite a few responses in regards to your daughters seizures, and by their responses you can see that it is quite common. I too experienced this back in December when my son was 22 months old. He had a low grade fever all day and towards the early evening, his fever spiked and he experienced a Febrile seizure. I was not home to witness this, my husband did and it threw him for a loop. He said that it felt like his little boy was "slippy away". He called 911 and when they arrived his temp was 104.9. I was on my way home from work and felt like I couldn't get there fast enough. Horrible.

Since that experience, we have been very cautious with our son when he feels warm. We are constantly taking his temp. He figure if we can keep his temp down, we can control the chance of it happening again. He has spiked a few random fevers since them with no other signs of being sick. To keep his temp down, we will normally alternate Motrin and Tylenol every 3 hours. Note: Dr say that it is say to give them both Motrin and Tylenol at the same to reduce a high fever quickly. After the first 30 minutes have past and if he still feels warm, we do a cool cloth on the foreheard, arms, elbows chest, etc. (they say not to do this or give a cool bath before 30 minutes because it could actually make the body heat up more). We will offer him popcicles as well. Since your daughter is only 9 months, if you don't want her having a popcicle, I suggest having some pedialite or her favorite drink frozen as ice cubes. I also make him drink A LOT of fluids throughtout the day. Last but not least, as piece of mind, he gets to sleep with us until his fever goes down. (if not, non of get sleep)

I know right now it is scary and you are worried, but know you are not alone. Just be aware that they say if they have 1 seizure it is most likely it will happen again before they are 5. So, nip the fever in the bud as soon as you can. it will help to have to not experience it again.

I'm sure this information may have been just a repeat of some other responses, but I hope it helped with your peace of mind. If you should need anything, do not hesitate to ask.

You and your family are in my thoughts. Good luck!

J.,
A similar thing happened to my friends son. He was running a low grade fever and then it spiked and he also had a seizure.
When she took him to his pediatrician he said that some kids do this and it is how their body reacts to the sudden spike in fever and that it could happen again. I hope that this info will help you
M.

I know how frightened you are! My daughter (now 8 1/2 yrs old) had her first febrile seizure when she was about 18 mos old. She had a very high fever, so I was sleeping in her room with her, when she suddenly started convulsing. We called 911, they knew right away what it was, and told us that since this was her first febrile seizure that we should take her to the ER. We were told in the ER and by our pediatrician that febrile seizures happen with a sudden spike in temperature and usually don't happen past the age of 5 or 6. Our daughter had two more febrile seizures at ages 3 and 4, each lasting about 1 minute, but has not had one since, thankfully. Each time she was sick with fever over the years we would set the alarm for every 4 hrs to check her temperature and give her tylenol or motrin. I know there are people who don't agree with this, but until you've seen your baby have a seizure, you might not understand. At any rate, the 2 seizures she had happened when one time the alarm didn't go off (I woke suddenly, checked her temperature and just knew it had spiked again and she'd probably have a seizure, and she did) and the next time she had the stomach flu, so she couldn't keep tylenol or motrin down, so we went to the ER where they gave her a rectal fever reducer. My best advice is to be informed about febrile seizures and know what to do when the seizure is happening. Once I knew to keep my daughter on her side, keep her safe and just let the seizure happen, because she was going to be fine, I felt better. Good luck and I'm sorry you had to go through such a scary situation.

Hi J..

Prayers going up for you all!

When I saw your daughter's age I was thinking , has she had recent shots? My first two were fine with shots but my last daughter got very ill after shots, a persistent "cold" that would not go away.

There are high fevers and low fevers, and my opinion is that high fevers are usually caused from a more virulent entity than a low fever. Many times doctors will blame a virus...usually without even doublechecking for bacteria!!! (gee doc, is this cold season? I thought that already passed)!
My first DD had a 104/105 for 7 days and they blamed it on a virus....7 days... before they finally checked her urine for a UTI.(they had to catheterize her with a pediatic feeding tube to get the urine). A UTI unchecked can damage the kidneys or even get into the bloodstram causing arthritis and pain later. (which is what happened to her). If she is still having a high fever after 4 days, insist on a blood test/culture or urinaylsis or both.

UTI's are more common in girls but even more common in children who have soap or bubble bath added to the tub. Doctors will refute that bubble baths contribute to UTI but they are wrong. Drop a few different drops of food coloring around a cup of water.(to simulate bacteria). Now drop some dish soap in. Watch how quickly the soap will travel and move....the same thing happens in a tub. then when the child pees, the urethra is opened, and the soap acts as a condjuit to carry the bacteria right up the open urethra.

The problem with medicating to bring a fever down is that it "masks" how bad the problem is. A medicated child will act more normal- the medication will actually cover up warning symptoms sent by the body and can fool you into thinking things are better off than they really are, especially if you keep to giving it every 4 hours continually.

Keep a journal and watch all symptoms closely and write them down, even things you might not think are related.
It can help with diagnosis. Go online and look up reasons for high fevers. Get some ideas and look up symptoms. You might be able to put two and two together....something doctors seem to have more and more trouble doing these days. (can you tell I don't trust doctors?)

Blessings,
Gail

Hi,

I'm sorry for what you are going through. I have never experienced anything like that with my children, but my mother tells stories about my brother and his high fevers. She says that when the fevers where at the highest, my brother would "hallucinate" and talk or laugh with whoever he was hallucinating with, and even "act" as if he was holding or touching something. Maybe your child was hallucinating and not having a seizure (hopefully), try to keep her head cool, even if her body is hot, her head is the most important. Keep a cold compress on her forehead, give her lukewarm baths, they even have some "jelly" headbands at the pharmacy, they stick to their foreheads, they help keep their heads cool. I hope she feels better soon and that she doesn't get a very high fever anymore. Will be praying :)

http://www.riteaidonlinestore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=8...

I am a mother of 3, this has never happend to me but did happen to my nephew. He had a seizure when he was your daughters age due to a high fever, it only happend once and now he is fine.

What may be helpful is to set your alarm every couple of hours though out the night to check her tempature. I believe this is commom but can be frightening. Take care and my prays are with your daughter.

Sincerely,
C.

Hello there!

My son has also been having VERY high fevers this week. (although none have cause seizures) One thing I have found that helps keep the temp down is a luke warm bath. My boy's fever went up to an CRAZY 106.4 and after the luke warm bath/shower went down to 102. I know that this might sound like a crazy temp to many parents, but my son has had high temps since he was an infant. These showers are a staple when his temp is that high. We also alternate the motrin/tylenol every four hours, this doesn't give the fever as much of a chance to spike. I would also have the dr. check her for bacterial infections. We have had my son run a battery of tests ruling out most common causes, only to find out that it is quite possibley just a nasty virus. I will be praying for your baby girl. I know God is a better healer than any dr. Try not to worry, He will take care of her. Please let me know if there is any other way I can pray for you.

Blessings!

Hi J. Blessings for quick whole healing-I'm so sorry that was so scary for you! You can take some echinacea yourself an some may get through breastm milk to help lower fevrs-also dress her in t-shirt an light blankets let her sweat it out but don't spike her by keeping too warm-goo luck- cool cloths an even going outside

Febrile sz can actually be quite common in children. Normally, they happen when there is a quick rise in body temperature. The best thing is to just keep on top of the fever- Infants Tylenol every 4 hours/ Infants Motrin every 6 hours..... and you can alternate between the two....
Good luck!

HAS SHE STARTED HER BABY SHOTS? Be careful.....this can happen because of the PERTUSSUS or whooping cough vaccine.
Each shot will bring this on and worse each time. Now it could also be that she has a low tolerance for fever activity and will possibly grow out of it. HIGH fevers can cause "brain damage" which is NOT REVERSIBLE. {Sometimes
parents have to be the ones to protect (ask more questions) their children even when the doctors tell you you are uneducated and down right wrong and maybe even stop the
pertussus shot} I can feel for you ... be smart,
be aware, pray about it.....I am sorry for your little girl. BELIEVE ME *I KNOW, also I know what will happen when you are bullied and do NOTHING! L.

Hi J.,

My 15 month old daughter just had the same thing happen last night for the first time. Except there was no giggling. She turned stiff and was shaking. We called 911 because it had never happened to us before. Her fever was almost 105. Her seizure lasted about 2-3 minutes. It is super scary. The doctors did do a blood screen and urine test and everything was clear. Anyway, I guess I just wanted you to know that you aren't the only one going through this. Just like everyone has said you just need to monitor their temp closer because it can happen again. It is so scary and it did make me feel better knowing this is something you can try to control by keeping track of their temp better and giving tylenol and ibrupofen regularly when they have a fever. Well hang in there. It isn't fun when they still have a fever the next day too. My daughter does as well although it seems to be coming down. Take care.

When my oldest child was a toddler, she often had really high fevers. They never reached the point of seizures, but I made 2 changes that changed my child's heath for the better. The first was using the cool towels on her legs and feet. They seemed to always bring the fever down by a degree. Next I discovered homeopathy. It is a natural form of medicine, that is holistic and safe for babies and children. There is a website www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org that will list practitioners and tell you how it works. It changed my life, and now my daughter is a healthy 12 year old.

Hey J.,
I completely understand what you are going through.... my daughter had a febrile seizure due to a high fever last month. Her temp caused her to do the much of the same thing except hers didn't last as long as your daughter's. I hate to say it but I have lost all faith in Valley Childrens (Madera?)! I took my daughter there twice when she had high fevers and they gave her tylenol and told me it was a virus only for me later to find out from my pediatrician that she had a serious infection both times. When she had the seizure I called 911 and we took an ambulance to St Agnes. They were awesome and I will totally go back to them if anything like this happens again.
In regards to the fever... My pediatrician told me to give a small dose of Baby Motrin because it helps to reduce the fever much better than tylenol. Make sure you ask a doctor though because how much you give depends on the baby's weight. Then he told me to alternate tylenol and motrin every two hours for a temp over 102. If it comes down then you can alternate about every 4-6 hours as needed. Whatever you do, do not put her in a cold bath or use alcohol to bring down the temp! What you can do is use a washcloth wet with room temperature water and ring it out. Then pat her down lightly. She will not like it but it should help a little. What you don't want to do is bring a high temp down too fast. This can also cause a seizure. Too high too fast/ high brought low too fast; these are the usual triggers for febrile seizure.
The other thing my doctor said was "Don't try to stop the seizure!" You need to let it run it's course because that is your babies brain trying to protect her. If you try to interfere by shaking her, patting her or anything besides holding and comforting her, you will prolong the seizure! I couldn't believe it myself but that is what he told me. He is awesome by the way and if you have questions or need a second opinion his name is Dr. Richard Jones and he is located on Shields by the "old" Valley Children's building.
Please feel free to contact me if you have other questions or just need to vent. I know I did and it helped to have people to talk to. Also, you might want to check to see if other people in you family or daddy's family were prone to febrile seizures. Apparently they run in the family. My nephew had one about a year before my daughter had hers and I have recently come to discover that some of my cousins had them as infants/toddlers. All of whom are perfectly normal and healthy... as is my daughter.
Good Luck and I will keep you and your daughter in my prayers.

Dear J.,
I am sorry to hear about your little girl. Now, here is what you can do to keep the fever low. It is an old and well proven method and worked on me when I was little and on my son, too. Especially when your little girl cannot get any meds down. In fact, as a nurse I had to do that a few times, too:
Cool the legs - and if need be - the chest of your little one with cool, (NOT ice cold) damp cloths wrapped around the legs, change every 20 minutes. The blood running through the legs and the evaporation process lower the fever amazingly well.

You will need a dishpan or other bowl
a waterproof sheet,
4 smallish cloths like burp cloth, napkin, washcloth
2 small waterproof sheets like disposable diaper or so.
1 or 2 dry reg size towels.
This is how you do it: place the bowl with room-temperature water next to the bed - it should be big enough to hold two cloths at a time.

Put a plastic sheet or other water proof layer on the mattress so it won't get damp.
Put a towel under her legs, use one wet washcloth or napkin or burp cloth for each leg - get them wet, wring them out so they are still wet but not dripping. Wrap them around her legs, and then fold the dry towel over them. Not too tight. You could use the disposable diaper on top of the wet cloths to keep the moisture from seeping into the dry towel.

In the beginning you can change the cloths more often if the fever is high - every 10 to 15 min. This method never fails. You may have to change the dry towels from time to time, because they might get damp, too

You may have to do the same around the chest if the fever is high. Kids squirm at first but it actually calms them down. The draw back is that you will have to get up pretty often at first. When the fever is reduced you can do it in 30 to 40 minute intervals.
It worked also on my husband when he had a high fever...

Good luck.

Oh, and when you give her tylenol or motrin make sure you give her the right dose, you probably know that it easy to misread the directions. They are not always very clear....

She may not have had a seizure by the way.... best wishes

I.

Hi Cory,

It sounds as though your daughter was physically and mentally fine after the seizure except for a remaining high fever. If so, do know that your daughter will be just fine. I can completely and utterly 100% understand what you are going through. I wish that I had this network when my son (now 12 ½ yrs old) had his first febrile seizure. We were at a huge convention in southern California. He was with me b/c he was still a baby when it all began. It was one of my worst nights ever with all the doctors, paramedics, and sight seekers all around my son while he was going through his seizure. A few hours later, we were told it was due to a sudden spike of a fever that his body could not handle. It's like his brain had a short circuit occur and it shut down for awhile. I was absolutely beside myself crying endlessly thinking that he was going to perish. I too, too terrified to sleep for fear if it should happen while I slept. The doctors reassured me that he would be fine if he did have another seizure. As a new mom, that was just too scary to even think of, and I had many sleepless nights and worried some days. It happened in the beginning of summer, so I was so scared to take him out in the heat! It took me a year to settle my fears, and I worried every time he got a fever and took him in to see his Dr. When we switched Dr.’s, which was the best thing, she settled my fears. Simply put him on round the clock Tylenol and Ibuprofen. First with Ibuprofen then Tylenol b/c Tylenol takes 45 min or more to respond whereas Ibuprofen takes 20min. Do follow your doctor’s orders though. I was told that febrile seizures decline by age 6. Thankfully he longer had another seizure that we know of. The not so good thing about seizures that we were told was that it’s possibly hereditary and that our future children will go through the same. Well, honestly I was better prepared when my daughter had one in the van while on 85 on a very hot day. She was then 2 yrs old. I knew the first thing was to pull over to a call box, called 911 from my cell and told then the numbers on the box (they tell your location). While they were on the way, I blasted the a/c on her to cool her down. Again, I was off w/another child to ER in an ambulance (3rd ride over the years). Three hours later when we arrived home, she jumped out of the van and danced around the grass as if nothing ever happened. I was so stressed that I felt I wanted to ‘puke’, but I was relieved!! She had another febrile seizure a year later, I was a litter more calmer with this go around. She was again fine. When she turned 6, I was so relieved!! We have another daughter and thankfully no seizures. She’ll turn 6 soon. So bottom line is: be sure to have your daughter examined to make sure it was just a febrile seizure (my son and daughter were tested), when a seizure does occur do your best to be calm, call 911, then remove all heavy clothing and just leave a very light T-shirt on, give her infants Ibuprofen, and just keep her cool until the paramedics arrive. She will be fine and grow up to be a very bright active little girl. When she turns 6, I’ll understand your emotions as well. I have three children and have been in many ambulance rides and trips to ER. It’s a very high stress job being a Mom, but it’s the only one with the BEST bonuses…………..your children!!

I hope this experience of mine helps calm your fears!

Hi J.,

I am so sorry you are going through this! I know how scary it is! My son has had febrile seizures(due to fever) and it is very scary-- I would encourage you to give your daughter tylenol every three hours and also ibuprofen every three hours. The combo helps get the fever under control and keep baby more comfortable. Ask your doctor for the dosage--- Also, keep a cool fan on low near her. Also to reassure you, if she does have another febrile seizure-- rest assured that it will not damage her brain like other seizures-- she will be ok~

Take care and hope she feels better soon- I will be praying for you and your family.

Molly

My son used to have very high and scary fevers after every set of shots (the pediatrician always gave him 3, 4 or 5 shots at the same time -horrible and dangerous procedure).
Some kids get epilepsy from vaccinations. Mine got autism and almost died a couple of times.
go to: www.vaclib.org to check the shots out.
Tylenol is known to diminish the immunity in children.
Be vigilant and educate yourself please.
See the content of the shots at:
http://informedchoice.org
Several people that I know well have vaccinate their kids and now they have epilepsy (well, one actually does not, he turned blind -at 8 yr of age -permanently and disabled as well.
Do not panic, but do some research. I have been involved with the autism community for several years and talked to many parents, and talked to parents around the world on line. Many of their kids have issues with seizures, they blame the shots.
another good site to educate yourself:
www.thedoctorwithin.com go to chapters.

Blessings

I'm SO sorry, J.! Febrile seizures are VERY scary! My son had one when he was about 3 yo...same thing, he was fine when we put him down to sleep and about an hour lated we heard him talking in his sleep. I crept up to the door to listen and realized he wasn't talking and the sounds he was making were not "normal" talking sounds. His seizure was worse...his body was having tremors, he had released his bladder and bowels and had spit bubbles all around his mouth and down his cheek. He was SO hot when I touched him we didn't even take his temp. just rushed him to the hospital. He was not really there and could not speak correctly for over an hour. All of a sudden he just snapped out of it, looked around with clear eyes and begged us to go home. The hospital did not really explain what happened and I was SO worried he had brain damage!

The good news is that the pediatrician explained eveything and allayed my fears. She told me that your child is "not there" because when the fever goes too high, their little brain "shuts down" to protect it from damamge. She explained that it's kind of like shutting off your computer incorrectly, so it takes a while to "reboot". She told me that I needed to be aware of my son's fever spikes and to alternate Motrin and Tylenol every two hours when he had a fever. Please check with your doctor to see if this is still recommeded. I made it a habit to have a good stock of them at home, in my car or his bag and at work...as he attended preschool at the college where I worked. Our Ped said that as long as the fever was controlled, he should not have another seizure, but if he did have another one, he may have them off and on until 5 yo. Apparently, it is something they seem to "outgrow" and does not result in any lasting damage or epilepsy unless it is the underlying cause of the seizure. My son never had another one...he is 14 yo now.

Do some research to help put your mind at ease and feel free to email me if you want to talk more about it. Stay on top of the fevers and try not to worry too much because children are resilient and seem to have lots of built in protections...such as the seizures. Take care! :0)

J.,
I will pray for your daughter. I really don't have any advice for this one, but to try to keep that fever down. Dress her in clothes that'll keep her cool. Maybe put a cool washcloth on her forehead every now and then. Offer her lots of fluids.I don't know what else to advise. It's probably a virus that has to work it's way through her system. I'll pray for both of you.

I'm so sorry you are having these problems and yes I will pray for your daughter's health. I do have a relative that dealt with this with her son and this is what she had to say: "I say get her dr to recommend her to a neurologist now, don't wait and for the seizures. keep giving Tylenol and alternate it with Motrin, every 4 to 6 hrs before the fever has a chance to spike. My son never sat up but he just laid there and shook and then was so lethargic afterward. As far as waiting 10 mins our dr and neurologist said no longer than 2 to five minutes because they can stop breathing and I would not wait more then 2 especially if she is having them often. We also gave rectal tylenol, it worked faster and didn't have to worry about up setting their stomachs. Tell her to watch for small seizures, if shes having several seizures in a row then get back to the emergency room and demand them to do something. They took catscans, blood work, and an EEG on our little one. So tell her to get a good neurologist.". Okay I hope that helps some and good luck. By the way, I don't think her son has them anymore. Our prayers are with you!

Hello J.,

I'm sure by now, you have received numerous responses to your posting about your daughters fever and seizure, but I thought I would comment anyway.

Did your doctor call this a febrile seizure? My son had one when he was about your daughter's age. I didn't know he was running a fever, and he was in footy pajamas and got very hot. It (the sezure)completely freaked me out as it looked like he was convulsing. The emergency doctor told me that all i had to do was not dress him so warmly when he had a fever and it wouldn't spike as high. THey also said the febrile seizures are not dangerous, although they appear very "freaky". Hope this helps,
E.

My son is 14, so he's a lot older, but he'd been running a 103-104 fever Sunday - Tuesday this week. We noticed it was definitely higher during the night than day. I don't think he had seizures, but he was hallucinating a bit. We went in to see a doctor on Tuesday and he was diagnosed with strep throat with is MORE prevalent this year than the swine flu we keep hearing about in the news. It's up 300% or something like that.

For the fever, we were advised to alternate doses of ibuprofen and Tylenol every 2 hours or so. He's an anti-meds kind of kid - doesn't normally even like to take things for a headache unless he really can't function and has to take to his bed.

Thankfully, he's back up and around and now we just have to figure out the finals he missed! New guideline for antibiotics is to be out of school / daycare 48 hours.

Hi J.,

My kids are grown now, but my oldest had the same thing--he would have seizures when he got high fevers. I had known about this before, because my sister used to have them when she got high fevers, also. Most of the doctors were very casual about it, but one doctor was very helpful. He told me that it is a very common thing, that it happens when the fever is spiking, and that they outgrow the tendency. The only thing to do is bring the fever down, and get treatment for whatever is causing the fever. And chances are it may never happen again. I know how terrifying it is when it's happening, but my sister and my son are both normal adults now! This only happened when they were very small, and there were no lasting effects from it.

My understanding is that febrile seizures (ones that occur with fever) are actually not uncommon and that the bigger issue is making sure that what is causing the high fever (e.g. an infection) is being dealt with if that's something dangerous. I assume most of them aren't dangerous as a million viruses go around and cause fevers. I agree that keeping her fever down is the goal but that if a child is prone to having febrile seizures that they are likely to have one at least once again in early childhood.

Do you like and trust your pediatrician? Hopefully you do and that advice from her/him is something that you can basically trust. I don't know what the best emergency room is in your area but here in the East Bay Children's Hospital is the place to go. Is there another place that you think might be helpful if you have one of these episodes again or is your pediatrician on call in the middle of the night?

This is advice I found for you on the Berkeley Parents Network from when someone posted a similar question:

Fever Seizures

March 2003
Question: My son had a fever seizure for the first time yesterday. He's fine now, fever down, anti-biotics at work. Although the common medical wisdom is that these fever seizures are essentially harmless, I found the whole experience--including the ride in the ambulance and the six-hour stay with multiple tests at the hospital--to be terrifying. And we've been advised that it may or may not happen again next time hehas a fever. I would appreciate hearing from other parents who have kids with fever seizures for some advice about how I can control my anxiety next time my boy has a fever, and some nuts and bolts about how to deal with this mysterious condition. Thank you. cbw

ANSWERS:
from what i know, the febrile seizures occur when the child's body temperature spikes too quickly. my son had one when he was 2. it was a short one and it has never happened since. he is almost 5 and i think that is when the occurences decrease significantly. the next time your son gets a fever, he will not necessarily have a seizure. i don't think there is much you can do about your anxiety except that if it happens again, you will have more knowledge and experience. (the first time i went to the ER with my child, i cried; since then, i have been to the ER 3-4 more times, but with less anxiety.)
my coworker's daughter had frequent seizures that would last up to 30 minutes!!! she even had to do CPR on her own child. how scary. she eventually had tubes put into her ears and that really helped. been there

My daughter had 3 febrile seizures between ages 1 and 2 and 1/2. The first one was the most terrifying. Call to 911, ride to the hospital, tests and more tests, but the other two were not much better. I got the same advice that they are not a big deal and there are no lasting effects. I am not sure I believe that because my daughter did start having language problems shortly thereafter (but I am not a doctor so could not say definitively what was cause and effect).
Anyway the doctors all said nothing we did could prevent the seizures (a result of the fever spiking up suddenly), but once I started paying close attention to her temperature when she was sick and making sure she took motrin when it first got elevated she never had another seizure although she has had fevers.

I don't know that this will easy your anxiety, but my daughter is now 5 and a half and a has not had a seizure in 3 years. A Mom

Our daughter had her first fever seizure at about 13 months. It scared the hell out of us, and we also spent hours in the hospital emergency room making sure everything was OK. But the doctors (as well as all the books we read) assured us that, although harrowing, fever seizures have no impact on the child. She's now a happy, healthy, very verbal, very active 3 1/2 year old. She's had 2 other seizures since that first one--each just as traumatic for us--but they seem to have had no lasting effect on her. Doctors and books also said that this condition seems to only affect children until they are 5 or 6 years old.
That said, here's how we deal with it: If it appears, even remotely, that she's getting a fever we give her a dose of children's Tylenol, and get her in the bathtub. Either my husband or I get in the tub with her. We don't make the tub water cold, just warm and comfortable for us both to sit in. Most of the time we've been lucky and caught it on time. Also, now that she's older and bigger, it really doesn't seem to happen as much (knock on wood). Feel free to email if you want to discuss further. ruth

My son also had fever seizures when he was younger, four in fact. The first one occured on Christmas Day. I tell you, I still can't see the pictures of the family dinner we shared on the 24th because it only brings back horrible memories of our ride to the hospital at 2AM. It was horrifying.
The best advice I can give you is that you need to always try and keep your child's temperature down. When you notice she/he is getting a fever, immediately dose him up on advil which is good at reducing fevers. From what our pediatrician told us several years ago, the seizures occur because our son's temperature rose too quickly for his brain to stabilize. I'm sure there are plenty of other factors, but that was the one that made most sense and since then it has been my husband and my mission to always keep his fever under control. My son is now 8 years old and has been seizure free for the last 5-6 years. However, I know it can always happen again. Just maybe not as frequent as when he was smaller.

Remember, reduce your child's fever as early as possible. Bathe him in luke warm water and do whatever it takes to make sure his temperature does not rise too quickly. If it does happen again, although it is hard not to, don't panic. Make sure he is breathing properly and take him to the hospital if he is not conscious or responsive after the seizure subsides. I know it's hard. I know it's difficult and scary to see your child go through this. But the good thing is that children tend to outgrown this. It'll be okay. J's Mom
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Good luck and just use your gut instincts to manage it all - sounds like the goal is to keep the fever down but to not worry.

I didn't read all, so I hope I don't repeat.

I KNOW how you feel, my daughter just went through a night with a really high fever (2 years old). She didn't have a seizure, but was about 102 all night. The dr. gave me some advice the next day:
1) alternate tylonal and motrin every 3 hours. Check with your dr if you can give a little bit more of the med than normal because of high fever.
2) Start the meds when the fever hits 100~ try not to let it get high so you are not fighting it so hard.
3) lukewarm washcloth on face, tummy, back
4) if all else fails, put her in a warm bath (NOT cold, cold makes child have chills, chills raise fever) Pour water on her body every few min, every time the water evaporates, it takes some of the heat.

I did set my alarm for every 2 hours when I got too tired to stay awake. I totally get how scary this is. GOOD LUCK!

I haven't gone through this, but I wanted to let you know that I'm praying. Let us know how she does.

M.