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Febrile Seizures
What Causes Febrile Seizures in Small Children?
By Melinda Copp
In most cases, febrile seizures occur when your child first gets a fever, possibly before you even realize the child is sick. But seizures may also occur when body temperature drops. They occur in small children and babies, and are particularly common in toddlers. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, approximately one in 25 children will have at least one febrile seizure.
When a child has a seizure, parents often think epilepsy first. And a febrile seizure looks like an epileptic seizure – your child may lose consciousness; his or her arms and legs may jerk and shake; the eyes may roll back into the head; your child may urinate and/or vomit; and he may have trouble breathing. The severity of the seizure will vary, but may not indicate the severity of the fever.
If your child has a seizure, you won't be able to stop it. But you should make sure your child is safe.
"Protect the child from hurting himself, and make sure the child is breathing," says Dr. George Toporoff, a pediatrician at the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic in Hilton Head Island, S.C. If possible, make sure your child doesn't have anything in his mouth that could possibly obstruct his airway. Roll your child onto his side, and don't stick anything in his mouth. When the seizure stops, your child may act confused, disoriented or tired.
Because a febrile eizure is difficult to discern from seizures caused by other conditions, you should call your child's pediatrician. Your doctor will rule out all the possible seizure causes, such as epilepsy and meningitis, before diagnosing a febrile seizure.
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