Febrile seizures

Category: Babies & Children · All children symptoms

What it can feel like

A febrile seizure is a fit triggered by fever in a young child (typically 6 months to 5 years), when the immature brain reacts to a rapidly rising temperature. The child stiffens, shakes, becomes unresponsive and may go blue around the lips for a minute or two — terrifying to witness, but simple febrile seizures do not damage the brain.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Febrile seizures can be associated with any fever-causing infection — viral illnesses lead, then ear, throat and urine infections — and they run in families; a child whose parent had them is more likely to.

Other possible causes

Febrile seizures can also be the presenting sign of meningitis or encephalitis when the child remains unwell, drowsy or has rash or neck signs after the fit; seizures that are focal (one side), prolonged (over 5 minutes) or repeated within the same illness are 'complex' and are investigated more deeply.

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

A seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes — call emergency services
A first febrile seizure — always assessed in hospital the same day
A seizure with a non-blanching rash, neck stiffness, bulging soft spot or persistent drowsiness
Repeated seizures in the same illness, or a seizure affecting only one side
A febrile seizure in a baby under 12 months, or breathing difficulty during or after
A child who does not return to their normal self within about an hour

What a clinician may do

In hospital, clinicians time and characterise the seizure, find and treat the fever's source (urine testing is routine), and observe the recovery. Most children need no brain scans or EEG after a simple febrile seizure; parents are taught seizure first aid and given a plan, including what to do if a fit exceeds five minutes.

Watch: related videos

Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.

▶ WatchChildren first aid febrile seizureWatch on MedicalVideos.com

Related guides on MedicalVideos.com

Frequently asked questions

What should I do during a febrile seizure?

Time it, protect the head, loosen tight clothing, put nothing in the mouth, and roll the child onto their side (recovery position) once shaking stops. Video it if you safely can — clinicians find it invaluable. Call emergency services if it passes five minutes, repeats, or the child struggles to breathe.

Do febrile seizures cause epilepsy?

Simple febrile seizures carry only a slightly raised later epilepsy risk (low single digits of percent) compared with children who never had one. Complex features — focal, prolonged, repeated in 24 hours — raise it further and earn specialist follow-up. Preventing fever with antipyretics, incidentally, does not prevent the seizures.

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Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.