Health Tip: Facts About Febrile Seizures
March 24, 2008, 12:58 AM ET
• 1 min read
Mar. 23 -- (HealthDay News) -- When a child has a seizure that's related to a fever, it's called a febrile seizure.
Here are some facts for parents on febrile seizures, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:
While febrile seizures can be very frightening to watch, they are rarely harmful to children.Febrile seizures do not cause brain damage, and will not cause your child to swallow his or her tongue.Febrile seizures -- even repeated ones -- do not mean your child has epilepsy.These seizures typically last only a few minutes (rarely more than 10) and will subside on their own. Contact your doctor if the seizure lasts longer than 10 minutes.If your child has had one febrile seizure, the chances of her having another one are between 25 percent and 30 percent. Most children do not have multiple febrile seizures.Your child should be checked by your family doctor after a seizure to be sure that a fever was the only cause.