Febrile seizures in children
The Feverish convulsions they are one of the most frequent causes of emergencies among children of one and two years. They are due to a rapid increase in body temperature and they are crises that affect the whole body. They are usually contraction and relaxation. In some cases they can be accompanied by loss of consciousness and even observed deviation of the look with a duration between one and ten minutes.
Most children who have had a febrile seizure have no more. Although 1 in 3 may have at least one other seizure.
It is more likely to happen again when the age of onset is lower or if there is a history in the family. The risk decreases once 6 months have passed since the first episode. And although they do not harm the child or affect his development, they are situations in which parents are very concerned about us. On the other hand, a child is not epileptic because I had one or several seizures with fever. The probability of having it is very small. Only 1 in 100 children with febrile seizures, without any other neurological disease, will suffer from epilepsy.
How to act in the face of a febrile seizure in children
- First of all we must remain calm and verify that the air ways They are open. Observe at all times the appearance of the child, the appearance and tone of the skin and, of course, your breathing.
- We must verify that the tongue is not hampering the entrance of air, if you have something in your mouth or if the clothes you are wearing are squeezing you.
- If the child vomits or has large salivation in the mouth, it should be place sideways (preferably left) or upside down, to avoid drowning.
- We must avoid moving the child, unless it is in a dangerous place. If the surface on which it is located is hard, we can put a pillow or cushion under the child. We must also remove all objects that may cause injuries.
- After the crisis, we must keep the child lying on his side. If this situation continues for more than ten minutes, call the Emergency Department and ask for medical help. Once the crisis has subsided, we must lower the fever. Remove the clothes and refresh the room's atmosphere.
- We should never bathe the child in cold water, because the sudden change in temperature can make your situation worse. The rubbing with alcohol that our mothers used is totally contraindicated, since the child can absorb the vapors.
- Although we are overwhelmed to see our son like that, we should not hold it tightly so that it does not move or try to stop the corporal movements. It is also not recommended to move it during seizures.
Sara Vázquez Nurse Clinic Ruber International of Madrid
