Fever Seizures

Topic Overview

Fever seizures (sometimes called fever convulsions) are uncontrolled muscle spasms that can occur in children who have a rapid increase in body temperature. You may not even know your child has a fever. The rapid increase in body temperature in a short period of time is the cause of the fever seizure. Once a fever has reached a high temperature, the risk of a seizure is probably over. Most children who have a fever seizure have temperatures above 102° (39°).

Fever seizures can be frightening but they are not usually harmful to the child and do not cause long-term problems, such as brain damage, mental retardation, or learning problems.

Fever seizures affect 2% to 4% of children. About 30% of children who have a fever seizure will have another one, usually within a year of the first seizure. These seizures are not a form of epilepsy.

A child who is having a seizure often loses consciousness and shakes, moving his or her arms and legs on both sides of the body. The child's eyes may roll back. The child may stop breathing for a few seconds and might also vomit, urinate, or pass stools. It is important to protect the child from injury during a seizure.

Fever seizures usually last 1 to 3 minutes. After the seizure, the child may be sleepy. You can let the child sleep, but check the child frequently for changes in color or breathing, or twitching arms or legs. The child also may seem confused after the seizure, but normal behavior and activity level should return within 60 minutes of the seizure.

A seizure is more likely to have been caused by a fever if the seizure occurred within 24 hours of the start of a fever. Fever seizures usually affect the whole body, not just one side. Most children have never had a fever seizure before and they also do not have other nervous system (neurologic) problems.

Review the Emergencies and Check Your Symptoms sections to determine if and when your child needs to see a health professional.

Emergencies

Does your child have any of the following symptoms that require emergency treatment? Call 911 or other emergency services immediately.

Your child:

• Stops breathing or has moderate to severe difficulty breathing. Before calling 911 or other emergency services, make sure your child is in a safe position on the floor.
• Has a seizure that lasts longer than 3 minutes, or a second seizure occurs during the same illness. Be sure to protect your child during a seizure.
• Has signs of shock.
• Has signs of severe dehydration.
• Has signs of heatstroke.
• Having a seizure is younger than 6 months or older than 5 years. This is less likely to be a fever seizure.

Note:

After calling 911 , if your child is not breathing, begin rescue breathing. See Rescue Breathing in the topic Dealing With Emergencies. You may transport your child for emergency medical care if you can do it safely and quickly.

Check Your Symptoms

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, click on the "Yes" in front of the question for information about how soon to see a health professional.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your child's symptoms.

Yes

Does your child have a fever and any signs of a serious infection?

See significance of a fever and any signs of a serious infection if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your child's symptoms.

Call your child's health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Does your child have a severe headache, neck pain or stiffness, and fussiness?

Yes

Is your child very sleepy or hard to wake up?

Yes

Is your child acting confused or struggling with you for no reason?

Yes

Does your child have a bulging soft spot on the head when he or she is not crying?

Yes

Does your child have new swelling in or around a joint?

Yes

Does your child have severe pain in or around a joint?

Yes

Does your child have sudden redness or warmth in or around a joint?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Does your child have a fever and any breathing problems?

See significance of a fever and breathing problems if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your child's symptoms.

Call your child's health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Is your child grunting, wheezing, or having mild difficulty breathing?

Yes

Is your child drooling and not wanting to swallow?

Yes

Does your child have a barking cough?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Does your child have a fever and pain? See evaluating pain in a child.

See significance of a fever and pain if you need information to help you answer the question below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your child's symptoms.

Call your child's health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to the following question.

Yes

Does your child have moderate to severe pain? See evaluating pain in a child.

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Do you think your child has an extremely high fever [105° (40.6°) or higher]?

See significance of high temperature if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your child's symptoms.

Call your child's health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Does your child have a temperature of 105° (40.6°) or higher?

Yes

Do you think that your child has an extremely high fever, but you are unable to measure his or her temperature?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Does your child have a fever and a new skin problem?

See significance of a fever and new skin problems if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your child's symptoms.

Call your child's health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Does your child have a fever and new, tiny purple or red spots (petechiae)?

Yes

Does your child have many new bruises (purpura) but he or she has not had an injury?

Yes

Does your child have a fever and a skin infection (cellulitis)?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Is this your child's first seizure?

See significance of first seizure if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your child's symptoms.

Call your child's health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to the following question.

Yes

Has your child had a first seizure that does not fall within the criteria for a fever seizure?

A seizure is likely to be fever-related if it meets the following criteria:

• The seizure happened within 24 hours of the start of a fever.
• The seizure lasted less than 3 minutes.
• The seizure affected the entire body, not just one side of the body.
• The child is between 6 months and 6 years old.
• The child does not have nervous system (neurological) problems.
• The child has had fever seizures before.

Call your child's health professional today if you answer "Yes" to the following question.

Yes

Has your child had a first seizure that does fall within within the criteria for a fever seizure?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Has your child had fever seizures in the past and now has had another fever seizure?

See significance of previous fever seizures if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your child's symptoms.

Note:

If your child has had a fever seizure in the past and you have talked with your health professional about how to care for your child after a seizure, be sure to follow your health professional's instructions.

Call your child's health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to the following question.

Yes

Has your child had a seizure that does not fall within the criteria for a fever seizure?

A seizure is likely to be fever-related if it meets the following criteria:

• The seizure happened within 24 hours of the start of a fever.
• The seizure lasted less than 3 minutes.
• The seizure affected the entire body, not just one side of the body.
• The child is between 6 months and 6 years old.
• The child does not have nervous system (neurological) problems.
• The child has had fever seizures before.

Call your child's health professional today if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Has your child had another fever seizure that does fall within the criteria for a fever seizure?

Note:

If the fever seizure falls within the guidelines for a fever seizure, an appointment may not be necessary. Your health professional will want to know that your child has had a fever seizure and will discuss your child's symptoms and care with you.

Yes

Has your child had a seizure that is different from past seizures, or is your child now behaving differently than after past seizures?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

If a visit to a health professional is not needed immediately, see the Home Treatment section for self-care information.

Home Treatment

Protect your child from injury during a seizure:

• Ease the child to the floor, or lay a very small child face down on your lap. Do not restrain the child.
• Turn the child onto his or her side, which will help clear the mouth of any vomit or saliva. This will help keep the tongue from blocking the air passage so the child can breathe. Keeping the head and chin forward (in the same position as when you sniff a flower) also will help keep the air passage open.
• Loosen clothing.
• Do not put anything in the child's mouth to prevent tongue-biting. This could cause injury.
• Try to stay calm, which will help calm the child. Comfort the child with quiet, soothing talk.
• Time the length of the seizure and pay close attention to the child's behavior during the seizure so you can describe it to your health professional.

Check your child for injuries after the seizure:

• If the child is having difficulty breathing, turn his or her head to the side and, using your finger, gently clear the mouth of any vomit or saliva to aid breathing.
• For home treatment of a fever, see the topic Fever, Age 3 and Younger or Fever, Age 4 and Older.
• If the child does not need to see a health professional right away, put him or her in a cool room to sleep. Sleepiness is common following a seizure. Check on the child often. Normal behavior and activity level should return within 60 minutes of the seizure.

If your child has had a fever seizure in the past and you have talked with your health professional about how to care for your child after a seizure, be sure to follow your health professional's instructions.

Symptoms to Watch For During Home Treatment

Use the Check Your Symptoms section to evaluate your symptoms if any of the following occur during home treatment:

• Another seizure occurs with the same fever illness.
• Other symptoms of illness develop, such as a cough.
• Symptoms become more severe or frequent.

Prevention

The best way to prevent fevers is to reduce your child's exposure to infectious diseases. Hand-washing is the single most important prevention measure for people of all ages.

Preparing For Your Appointment

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment

You may feel upset after seeing a fever seizure. Stay calm. You can help your child's health professional diagnose and treat your child's condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:

• What is the history of the fever?
  • When did the fever start?
  • Did it come on suddenly or increase over several hours?
  • How high is the fever?
  • Does the child have any other symptoms?
• Does your child have frequent fevers? How long do they usually last?
• How was the child's health and behavior before the seizure?
• Had the child had an accident or an injury before the seizure?
• What happened during the seizure?
• What kind of body movements were there?
• How long did the seizure last?
• How did the child act immediately after the seizure?
• Have you noted any injuries from the seizure?
• Has the child ever had a seizure before?
• What other health problems, if any, has the child had over the past 3 months?
• Has your child been eating, drinking, and playing normally?
• What home treatment measures, including nonprescription medicines, have you used? Did they help?
• Does your child have any health risks?

Ask your health professional what you can do to prevent another seizure and what to do if another seizure occurs.

Related Information

• Abdominal Pain, Age 11 and Younger
• Acute Bronchitis
• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Coughs
• Crying, Age 3 and Younger
• Dehydration
• Diarrhea, Age 11 and Younger
• Ear Problems and Injuries, Age 11 and Younger
• Encephalitis
• Epilepsy
• Fever, Age 3 and Younger
• Fever, Age 4 and Older
• Heat-Related Illnesses
• Influenza
• Measles (Rubeola)
• Meningitis
• Mumps
• Pneumonia
• Rash, Age 11 and Younger
• Respiratory Problems, Age 11 and Younger
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection
• Seizures
• Shock
• Strep Throat
• Urinary Problems and Injuries, Age 11 and Younger
• Urinary Problems and Injuries, Age 12 and Older
• Vomiting, Age 3 and Younger