Febrile convulsions Dr Trisha Macnair Very young children are prone to fevers, as their body's temperature control is not yet fully developed. This can lead to fits, known as febrile convulsions.

In this article

What are they? What causes them?

Who's affected? What are the symptoms?

What's the treatment? Are their any complications?

Febrile convulsions are seizures (sometimes known as fits) that occur in a child with a high fever of over 39°C (102.2°F). These most typically occur during the early stages of a viral infection such as a respiratory infection, while the temperature is rising rapidly.

Febrile convulsions can be frightening but they're rarely serious.

The convulsions occur because the electrical systems in the brain have not yet matured sufficiently to cope with the stress of a high temperature.

Three per cent of children have at least one febrile convulsion. They mostly occur between the ages of six months and three years (although they sometimes occur up to six years).

There may be a genetic predisposition - up to 20 per cent of relatives will have a seizure disorder including febrile convulsions.

The seizures are brief, usually lasting only a minute or two

The seizures are brief, usually lasting only a minute or two and never more than five minutes.

The child loses consciousness, becomes stiff, stops breathing for up to 30 seconds and loses control of their bladder or bowel, wetting or soiling themselves.

You may then notice twitching or spasms of both limbs and occasionally the face muscles. The child's eyes roll upwards.

This stops after a few minutes and the child regains consciousness. Following the seizure they fall into a deep sleep and are often confused or irritable when they finally wake.

The aim is to stop the child hurting themselves during the seizure, but don't hold them down and don't put anything in their mouth. Place them in the recovery position and call your doctor.

To bring the temperature down, cool the room, loosen their clothing, and give paracetamol or ibuprofen according to the instructions.

Your child may need to be treated or investigated in hospital to rule out problems other than a febrile convulsion, especially if this is their first seizure.

You may be given an anticonvulsant drug called diazepam (which is administered rectally) to keep at home in case of another convulsion.

In about 15 per cent of cases, the child will have another febrile convulsion during the same illness. They also have a one in three risk of a convulsion during a subsequent illness.

Onset before the age of one and a family history increase the risk of recurrent problems.

Most children grow out of febrile convulsions without coming to any harm. However, about one per cent of children do subsequently develop epilepsy (this is more likely if the child has a longer than normal convulsion, or recurrent seizures in the same illness). Talk to your doctor if you're worried.

This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in April 2008