Febrile convulsions (fits) in babies

Vicky - posted on 10/31/2010

my daughter has had nine one last night so scarey wat was you told. my daughter is 20 months old xx

Jaszmyne - posted on 01/26/2009

It's not the fever getting so high that is causing the convulsions in babies, it is speed in which the fever is going UP OR DOWN. Don't put the child in cold water or take him outside in the freezing cold. Cool him down slowly and start this before his fever gets high. Alternate between Tylenol and Mortin every other dose.

Penni - posted on 01/26/2009

well to make you feel better my son has had 14 febrile seziures in 7 mths.. all with fever . if your son is like mine  normal fever medication doesnt work for long... how often does he get fevers... have you noticed a cycle yet.. my boy gets fever every 2 weeks and fevers can last up to 5 days...we just about to start a new medication with his next fever.( which is due any day now) this will reduce his fever to a few hours insted of 3_5 days....happy to answer any questions you may have..

Vickie - posted on 01/22/2009

i would just like to thank everyone, my son is nearly 2.

He has been to the health visitor today and she said because he fits everytime he has a fever there is no need to worry, unless he fits for no reason. Then he would have to be checked out, for epilepsy. So thats no so bad but i just hope and pray he doesn't get another one. Once again thanx for all the advice.

Vickie & Lewis xx

Cyndi - posted on 01/21/2009

My daughter now 7 yrs old, used to get the febrile seizures when she had a fever, and it is a scary ordeal. She had her last one when she was about 18 mos old. But every time she got a fever...we always were just on edge, she would just sleep with us when she was sick. It is a scary thing and I feel for you. How old is your son? More than likely he will grow out of it...I know right now you are just wanting that to happen sooner than later!! We just always had Tylenol and Motrin ready to go. We even had the suppositories when she was real little in case...they seem to work quicker. Hope your son is doing well!! Just hang in there!!

Prinna - posted on 01/21/2009

My daughter has had about 6 febrile seizures.  She seems to always have them when she's asleep - all except one.  She has the full "grand mal" seizure and it's absolutely terrifying.  I am pretty much in shock for a couple days after she has one.  She goes from a normal temp to 103 or 104 in just a couple minutes so they tell us that's why she has them.  We've had the full workup done on her and they can't find any brain abnormalities so she's not taking any medication - I guess she'll likely outgrow them by about age 5 or 6.  But it is one of the most heartwrenching things for a parent to watch, isn't it?

Bridget - posted on 01/20/2009

Take your child to a chiropractor.  My youngest has spent the last month seizing on and off until hubby and I went for our appts. and mentioned it and got her adjusted.  Nothing at all since Thutsday.

Ami - posted on 01/20/2009

HI Vickie, I went through that with my daughter, she was 14 months old and was at daycare... It took 4 days for her fever to break, turned out that she had Roseola. After that experience, whenever she had a really high fever, or when it started to climb quickly, i'd get a cool cloth and place it on the back of her neck... then put her in the tub... It's not a fun experience but they do grow out of them...

Vickie - posted on 01/20/2009

i would just like to say a big thank you to everyone that has chatted o me regarding my sons fits. Its been a great help to listen to your information and i will take on board the advice given. As my son has had a lot of them i want him checked out properly by a neuroligist (dont know if thats how you spell it).

Thanx very much Vickie xx

Sandy - posted on 01/20/2009

My son went to febral colvulsions. He had them often but now has outgrown them. Never try to bring their fever down to quickly because that will also cause them to convulse. I also but then im room temp water. The old wives tale of sliced rad onions at the soles of the feet and socks over the feet works to bring the fever down. Just make sure that you change them ever so often.

Nikkie - posted on 01/20/2009

Quoting Vickie:

hi vikkie not sure if its the same thing my little boys 2 hes been having the odd fit wen he gets in a tempre tantrum he has a tantrum drops to the floor and goes in 2 a fit very scary due to see someone at my local hospital in march to see whats going on its not nice to watch it , hope all goes well with ur little one  nikki & taylor xx

Febrile convulsions (fits) in babies

hi mothers
i was wondering if anyone else apart from me goes through febrile convulsions (fits) with there little ones?
My son has had 6 fits within the last 9 months. Its such a scary experience to go through and watch my son. I wanted to share/experience mine with other moms.
Thanx Vickie and Lewis xx

Brenda - posted on 01/20/2009

Hi Vicki

I have had to deal with this and yes it is a very scary situation.  My son who is now five has had febrile siezures. The first one I will never forget.  It wasone of the worst nights of my life. My sons were caused by Ear and Throat infecions that caused him to have high fevers.  I did have to alternate with tylenol and advil cause the  tylenol alone would not touch his fever.  His last one was when he was around a year and a half and I am thakful he has maybe out gown them.  I panic everytime he has a fever now, but the minute he feels warm I put the tylenol into him.  We have had him to an Ear Nose Throat specialist who has put tubes n his years twice and taken his adnoids out.  We are just waiting for them o decide to take his tonsils as well then maybe we will be thru with all of those problem.  I do agree with the other lady that 6 in 9 months is alot and maybe a neuroligist is an option.

Stephanie - posted on 01/20/2009

My son had one at about 14 months of age due to an ear infection we didn't realize he had (long story) and yes VERY scary even though I had been prepped all about them and told not to panic when they happen blah, blah, blah.  It is definitely a scary experience.  I've been told by a naturopathic DR that when your child has a fever, what the body needs is actually Calcium and the fever helps leatch it from wherever to get it.  Since then, both of my kids have had fevers and I've given them a powdered calcium drink and in both of them it reduced the fever within half an hour....

Fiberal convulsions aren't about how high the temperature gets, but how fast it gets there.  Convulsions happen when the temperature shoots up, so the fever could only be 101 but if it happens fast - convulsion.

Laura - posted on 01/19/2009

I agree with some of the other mom's when they asked if your child had a fever every time and/or has been sick. Febrile seizures are not necessarily from high temps but from the temp jumping up too quick. When your child has a fever alternate tylenol and motrin. Don't bundle him under blankets. Give them plenty of fluids. And know that yes, if your child is having them that they are more prone to more. However, they do outgrow them. (unless not febrile seizures and something else like epilepsy, etc.) I am not only a mom but work as a paramedic and have had plenty of these types of calls. If I can answer any other questions for you, just let me know. Good luck. I know that even though I have been working 911 for 12 years and see it quite frequently, I would probably be upset if one of my own had one! Good luck!

User - posted on 01/19/2009

Hi Guys,

My son who is now 6years old sufferd the same from the age of 10months to almost 3years.  He has now grown out of it thank god - but yes very very scary the first couple of times - we were told its more generic in certain couples & Deklan was given a trial vaccination thru PMH (Perth WA childrens hospital)... Following each fit Deklan would end up with a double ear infection and have time off Daycare (we both work full-time) - one specialist did tell us that he could suffer from SVS (Small Valve Syndrome) which means all his valves connecting his ears, nose & throat were underdeveloped (small) which causes him to get sicker alot quicker than other children his age, eg - sore throat, green phlem, blocked nose with hours of coming in contact with a virus as such.. simply because his connecting valves would swell quicker because they were smaller.. Agin this specialist told us he would grow out of it - which he has (touch wood) - we've been fit free for over 3 years...

Cheers & Good Luck

Storm W...

xox

Loreen - posted on 01/19/2009

My son had a febrile seizure Dec 2007, he's 2 and a half now and hasn't had one since.  The ER said if he ever gets a fever over 100 degrees to give him tylenol right away and keep an eye on his fever, because once they have had them once they are prone to getting them again until the age of 3.  It was the scariest thing I ever had to deal with and I can't imagine going through 6 in 9 months. 

The one thing I was doing when talking to the on call Dr before going to the ER, which is a mothers natural instinct...was holding my son tightly with his blanket just rocking him back and forth...which was actually insulating the fever and making it higher.  So don't wrap him in a blanket tight, losely so the heat can escape.

My son's temp jumped from 102.5 to 103 in less than a half hour which is what initially caused the febrile seizure.  I've always taken his temp every hour when he's sick and has a fever to prevent it from happening again.

I hope things calm down for you, I feel ya and my thoughts and prayers go out to you!

Angela - posted on 01/19/2009

My brother and I both had febrile convulsions. Our doc told our Mom to put cool wash cloths in our armpits, our groin area and the back of our necks to help cool us down quickly without producing chills, which actally raises a fever.

Blanca - posted on 01/19/2009

My son had them a long time ago when he was a baby. He is now 33 year old! They went away after he turned 3. They are very scary, though. We tried to control his fever immediately after we noticed he had a temperature, but sometimes he would get sick during the night and there was no stopping the convulsions.

Becky - posted on 01/19/2009

yes tylenol and ibuprofen are a great thing to use and to use them both of corse alternate them as directed. there is nothing wrong with a tepid bath either. obviously your not going to leave your child alone in the tub to drown. a cold wet cloth on the child is not a good idea neither is taking it outside you can cause hypothermia that way. taking the childs clothes off down to a diaper is also another thing to do. always check the temp rectal. it is the most accurate. if your childs temp gets over 102 he/she need a dr. if your child has a febrile seizure then he she needs a dr and you may even need to call 911.

 you can use a cool clothe behind the childs neck to help cool him/her but dont rely on it it is only a quick fix. this is just some help and not an order from a dr. this has come from experiance of years in a trauma center/er and ambulance.

yes if your child does hve febrile seizures then getting cpr certified is a great idea. i would almost dare to say a necessity in your case.

Becky - posted on 01/19/2009

yes tylenol and ibuprofen are a great thing to use and to use them both of corse alternate them as directed. there is nothing wrong with a tepid bath either. obviously your not going to leave your child alone in the tub to drown. a cold wet cloth on the child is not a good idea neither is taking it outside you can cause hypothermia that way. taking the childs clothes off down to a diaper is also another thing to do. always check the temp rectal. it is the most accurate. if your childs temp gets over 102 he/she need a dr. if your child has a febrile seizure then he she needs a dr and you may even need to call 911.

 you can use a cool clothe behind the childs neck to help cool him/her but dont rely on it it is only a quick fix. this is just some help and not an order from a dr. this has come from experiance of years in a trauma center/er and ambulance.

yes if your child does hve febrile seizures then getting cpr certified is a great idea. i would almost dare to say a necessity in your case.

Becky - posted on 01/19/2009

yes tylenol and ibuprofen are a great thing to use and to use them both of corse alternate them as directed. there is nothing wrong with a tepid bath either. obviously your not going to leave your child alone in the tub to drown. a cold wet cloth on the child is not a good idea neither is taking it outside you can cause hypothermia that way. taking the childs clothes off down to a diaper is also another thing to do. always check the temp rectal. it is the most accurate. if your childs temp gets over 102 he/she need a dr. if your child has a febrile seizure then he she needs a dr and you may even need to call 911.

 you can use a cool clothe behind the childs neck to help cool him/her but dont rely on it it is only a quick fix. this is just some help and not an order from a dr. this has come from experiance of years in a trauma center/er and ambulance.

yes if your child does hve febrile seizures then getting cpr certified is a great idea. i would almost dare to say a necessity in your case.

Melinda - posted on 01/19/2009

my son is now 20 years old and out on his own and im proud of the fine young man he has become but when he was a baby it was pure terror it started when he was just a few months old and continued till he was almost 3 years old the doctors told me it was temper tantrums {i have never known a 2 month old to have a temper} he would hold his breath,his face would turn blue,his eyes would seem to roll into the back of his head then he would stop breathing and collapse his head on my shoulder all i could do was hold him and wait.as soon as he collapsed he would automatically start breathing again.during these episodes he would stiffen and arch his back. 

Melinda - posted on 01/19/2009

my son is now 20 years old and out on his own and im proud of the fine young man he has become but when he was a baby it was pure terror it started when he was just a few months old and continued till he was almost 3 years old the doctors told me it was temper tantrums {i have never known a 2 month old to have a temper} he would hold his breath,his face would turn blue,his eyes would seem to roll into the back of his head then he would stop breathing and collapse his head on my shoulder all i could do was hold him and wait.as soon as he collapsed he would automatically start breathing again.during these episodes he would stiffen and arch his back. 

Ashley - posted on 01/19/2009

i went through that once with my oldest daughter which is now four but when she was 15 months after she got shots ,she had  febrile seizures and i would have never known if she not been in bed with my mom that nite we called 911 they were great with her we got her rushed to cooks .

Vickie - posted on 01/19/2009

Hi there he does have high temperature every time, and has a cold or infection. I give him calpol in the morning and before he goes to bed. I have nurofen for babies ready. But its so scary, you think they are not going to come out of it, the eyes rolling back etc. I just hope and pray, he does not have another one.

Thanx for chatting to me it's nice to listen to someone else.

Vickie & Lewis

xx

Michelle - posted on 01/18/2009

Hi Vickie,

I couldn't imagine 6 in 9 months.  My daughter recently had an afebrile seizure (no fever) and all the tests have come back normal so far, we yet to have the brain scan done to rule out epilepsy. 

Does your son have a fever every single time?  Because if he doesn't you might want to consider seeing a neuroligist ( 6 in 9 months is a lot).  Alternating tylenol and ibuprofen is good but I believe tylenol has more antipyretic (anti-fever) properties than ibuprofen.  I wouldn't ever put my child in a bathtub of water for fever because the chances of drowning are very high, even if the water is only an inch depth.  Your best bet is to take all his clothes off and use a cool wet towel.

I hope he gets well soon.  All the best.

Rachel - posted on 01/18/2009

My son only had one.  He was around a year old, he is now 5, and he actually had pneumonia and we didn't know it.  He is also asthmatic, so his air went quickly and after he convulsed he was blue.  I was freaking out because I thought he was dead.  I remember calling 911 during the convulsion and freaking out asking what I was supposed to do for him, thinking that I needed to perform CPR.  I laid him on my bed and then he just started to breathe on his own again in probably less than 30 seconds but it seemed like an eternity.  The ambulance came and took his temp rectally and it was around 106° and that was with him being on Tylenol!  They took him down to the ER and did x-rays and found out he had pneumonia and gave him medication to bring the fever down.  Once his fever came down to a tolerable level, we took him home and he was pretty much out of it until the next morning.  It was one of the scariest experiences we have every had with him.  I cannot imagine going through 6 experiences in 9 months.  His pediatrician did say that he would be more prone to them once he had had one, but that if he did not have one within the first 24 hours from the onset of the fever, he should be in the clear.  Let me tell you, I switched off Tylenol and then in a couple hours gave him Ibuprofen and then in a couple hours gave him Tylenol and then when he was due for Ibuprofen I gave him that with every fever after that so that the fever was kept down to a minimum.  I know they say we are supposed to let fevers go because it is actually good for the body but I just couldn't go through that again.  I feel for you and wish you the best of luck and hope these cease for you soon!!  

Stephany - posted on 01/18/2009

Hey Vickie, I have never had to watch my kids go through it, but i do have a suggestion. Before the fever gets high enough to get to the fitting stage try and get him outside where it is cold, and that is the fastest way to cool him down, or tepid bath water. I have been told before that once a baby has a febrile fit, they are more likely to have them again. I think the key is to try and control the fever earlier. So long as he isn't being sick or up high on something he is unlikely to injure himself, and will just need his wonderful mummy hugs after!

I am sure you are doing everything right! Bless you!

Jaszmyne - posted on 01/26/2009

It's not the fever getting so high that is causing the convulsions in babies, it is speed in which the fever is going UP OR DOWN. Don't put the child in cold water or take him outside in the freezing cold. Cool him down slowly and start this before his fever gets high. Alternate between Tylenol and Mortin every other dose.