What to do if the child has a febrile convulsion?

These points should be considered by parents in case of febrile seizures

Children often suffer from fever and this often reaches alarming heights. A particularly frightening experience for parents are so-called febrile convulsions, which according to the professional association of pediatricians (BVKJ) affect about two to five percent of the children at least once. Typical is an appearance between the ages of half a year and five years. How parents react correctly Ulrich Fegeler in a recent press release of the BVKJ.

According to Dr. Fegeler usually takes a febrile convulsion only seconds to minutes. Affected children turn their eyes, lose consciousness and tense the whole body, start to twitch or her body slack, the pediatrician continues. Her skin turns pale and the area around her lips turns blue. "If parents see such a seizure for the first time, it can be very threatening," emphasizes the expert. Nevertheless, it is important to keep calm and immediately call the emergency number 112. In addition, the expert has some more tips on what measures to take and what are urgently to refrain.

Febrile convulsions in the child are extremely threatening, but usually do not go back to a serious illness. (Image: ladysuzi / fotolia.de)

Most threaten with febrile seizures no health consequences

The BVKJ expert explains that these are usually so-called simple febrile convulsions that occur in young children between the ages of six months and five years. The febrile convulsion usually lasts only a few seconds to a maximum of 15 minutes and after one to two hours, a child has usually recovered completely from the event. Such febrile convulsions remain, according to Dr. Fegeler for the little patients without health or other consequences.

Complicated febrile convulsions
In contrast, there are so-called complicated febrile convulsions, which are much rarer and can occur even in children under the age of six months or in children over the age of five years. The cramps often last longer than 15 minutes and sufferers are at an increased risk of further health problems.

Causes of Febrile Spasms

Only above a body temperature of 38 degrees Celsius, according to the BVKJ febrile convulsions and the speed of the temperature increase seem to play a role in their occurrence. Occasionally, however, the convulsions are also recorded in fever. Virus-related gastrointestinal infections and upper respiratory tract infections are the main causes of simple febrile convulsions. However, it could "even with the real flu (influenza) or the so-called 3-day fever (human herpes virus type 6)" come to febrile seizures.

Only very rarely serious diseases cause

According to the expert, febrile seizures are very rarely observed up to 24 hours after the first or second six-vaccination and after the first measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (after about 8 to 14 days). In addition, febrile convulsions can occur frequently in some families, which speaks for a genetic predisposition. Only in very rare cases is a more serious condition such as meningitis behind the febrile convulsions. "In two out of three children, the febrile convulsion remains a unique event," Dr. Fegeler.

Emergency medicine and its use

In particular, if febrile convulsions in the family are known, it may be advisable to give the parents an emergency drug and to explain their use, emphasizes. Fegeler. However, the parents should also be explained that an early reduction of fever does not reduce the risk of recurrence for another febrile convulsion. This point should be discussed in detail in order to avoid a compulsive measurement of body temperature and an "over-therapy" with antipyretic preparations. Once the seizure is over, it is important to put the child in a stable lateral position so that saliva and, if necessary, vomit can not block the respiratory tract. "Under no circumstances may they shake the child," said Dr. Fegeler.

Always medical checks required

In view of the risk of serious illnesses, a child must always be examined by a doctor after a febrile convulsion and, in principle, a child should be hospitalized up to about one and a half years after the onset of a febrile convulsion, the expert emphasizes. Important factors for the medical evaluation are how long the seizure lasted and which body parts were affected, in which order. (Fp)