Febrile seizures

Many infections in tamariki cause fevers. Some tamariki are born with genes that make them more likely to have seizures when they have a fever. The fever doesn't cause the seizure but can trigger one in these tamariki.

Tamariki with febrile seizures don't have a seizure with every fever. In fact, most tamariki will only ever have 1 febrile seizure in their lifetime. 

Usually, the fever is caused by a viral infection, such as a cold. Sometimes, the fever is caused by a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia, a urine infection, an ear infection or occasionally, meningitis. Bacterial infections can be serious.

Take your child to a healthcare provider after the febrile seizure to find out why they have a fever. 

Most febrile seizures stop by themselves.

When your child has a seizure, they'll become unresponsive. They may become stiff or their arms and legs may start to twitch or jerk. Their eyes may roll back. Often they're floppy afterwards.

The seizure can seem to go on for a long time but they usually only last a minute or two and will stop by themselves.

After the jerking or stiffness stops, your child will usually sleep for a while (up to an hour). Some tamariki appear to be very upset and then become sleepy.

Watching your child have a febrile seizure can be very frightening, especially if it's the first time. Many parents think their child is dying during the seizure. Tamariki don't die during febrile seizures.

Most febrile seizures stop by themselves.

How do I keep my child safe?

The most important thing to do is to keep your child safe while they're having a seizure.

• Lie your child down on their side.
• Don't put anything in their mouth (they won't swallow their tongue).
• Don't put your child in the bath or shower to cool them down.
• Loosen their clothes around their face and neck.
• Wait a few minutes for the seizure to stop – check the time if you can to see how long the seizure lasts.

Here's a printable seizure first aid(external link) plan from KidsHealth.

When should I see a healthcare provider?

You should take your child to see a healthcare provider after the seizure finishes. They will check to see what's causing the fever.

When should I see a healthcare provider urgently?

Most tamariki are sleepy after a seizure, but if they're hard to wake, or if you're worried about them for other reasons, see a healthcare provider urgently.

When should I dial 111?

Dial 111 within Aotearoa New Zealand (use the appropriate emergency number in other countries) and ask for urgent medical help if:

• the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes
• your child is having trouble breathing
• your child looks very unwell
• your child isn't waking up and responding after the seizure.

Apps reviewed by Healthify

You may find it useful to look at some first aid and emergency apps.

A febrile seizure in a healthy child very rarely causes long-term harm. Febrile seizures that last less than an hour don't cause brain damage or death.

Between 10 and 15% of tamariki have more than 1 seizure in the same illness. Once the seizure has finished, take your child to a healthcare provider again.

If your child starts a second seizure before waking from the first one, you should dial 111 within New Zealand (use the appropriate emergency number in other countries) for urgent medical help.

About 1 in 3 tamariki who have had 1 febrile seizure will have another one with another fever. This is more likely to happen if there are other people in your whānau (family) who have had febrile seizures. The risk decreases as your child gets older.

By the age of 6 years, tamariki have usually grown out of febrile seizures.

Febrile seizures aren't a form of epilepsy and don't cause epilepsy. The risk of any child developing epilepsy is 1 in 200. The risk is slightly higher (1 in 100) for tamariki who have had a febrile seizure. 

The chance of a child developing epilepsy is higher again (less than 15 in 100) if:

• they have a developmental delay
• the febrile seizure lasted longer than 15 minutes, involved one side of the body or there was more than 1 seizure in the first illness
• there are other people in the whānau who have epilepsy.

Most febrile seizures stop by themselves in 1 or 2 minutes. They don't need any treatment. 

If the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, dial 111 within New Zealand (use the appropriate emergency number in other countries) and ask for urgent medical help.

If your child had a febrile seizure that lasted more than 5 minutes, your healthcare provider will give you some medicine to use in case a future seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.

If your child recovers completely from the febrile seizure, and they don't have a serious infection, they don't need to stay in hospital.

There is no way to prevent febrile seizures.

Keeping your child cool when they have a fever will make them feel more comfortable but won't prevent a febrile seizure. The best ways to bring your child's temperature down are by:

• undressing your child so that they're just wearing a single layer (for example, a singlet and pants)
• making sure the room is not too hot or too cold.

If your child is miserable because of the fever, you can give them paracetamol to make them more comfortable. You must follow the dosage instructions on the bottle. It's dangerous to give more than the recommended dose. You can also use our paracetamol dose calculator to work out how much to give your child depending on how much they weigh. 

Giving regular paracetamol or ibuprofen won't prevent a febrile seizure.