How Common Are Febrile Seizures?

Febrile Seizures in The Children

What are febrile seizures?

Febrile seizures in infants and young children are seizures caused by fever. During febrile seizures, children often lose consciousness and extremecen, moving limbs on both sides.

Less commonly, the child becomes rigid or has contractions in a single body part, such as in an arm or leg, or on the left or right side only.

Most febrile seizures last a minute or two, although some may be as short as a few seconds and others may last for more than 15 minutes.

Most children with febrile seizures have rectal temperatures over 102 degrees F. Most febrile seizures occur during the first day of fever in children.

It is not considered that children prone to febrile seizures have epilepsy, since epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures that are precipitated by fever. Read the rest of this entry »