The Unexpected Side Effect of a Simple Fever :: Febrile Seizures

How many times has your child run a fever? A TON, right? If your child is anything like mine, you’re probably calling the doctor every few weeks because of a mystery illness. But did you know that your child could have a seizure due only to the fact that he or she is running a fever? I don’t want this to be a statement that scares you, but one that simply empowers you with a little more knowledge.

When I was pregnant with my son, I did not care if he inherited my unibrow, my crooked teeth, or my emotional tendencies. But there was one thing that I absolutely did not want to pass down: my seizures. As a child, almost every time I would get sick, I would have a febrile seizure. A febrile seizure occurs when the body temperature raises quite quickly, so these typically occur when a child is ill and his temperature is already high. When meeting our son’s pediatrician for the first time, we brought these up as a concern. She had informed my husband and me that febrile seizures are common and not exactly hereditary. However, given the number of people down my ancestral line that I can name that would have these as a child, she casually told us to just be prepared.

The night my son, Charlie, had his first seizure, we had attended a Friendsgiving celebration at a friend’s apartment. Charlie was very sluggish when we left, but it was about an hour past his typical bedtime, and we attributed his behavior to keeping him up past bedtime. He woke up in the middle of the night, as per usual, and as I was putting his pajamas back on after a diaper change, it happened.

Having seen my little sister have seizures, I knew immediately what was going on. I am fully aware that if I had never seen one of these before, I would be terrified about what was happening to my child. That’s why I am writing about this, because despite the fact that you may have never heard about these before, they are not uncommon. According to a video produced by our very own Children’s of Alabama, 5% of children will experience a febrile seizure. Therefore, it’s important to have this bit of knowledge in your back pocket . . . just in case.

I am not a medical professional, but I have had enough follow-up visits to the pediatrician after one of these episodes to be aware of the important things to note.

• First, for any and every time a seizure occurs, time it. Call your doctor immediately, or 911 if it is after hours.
• Watch to make sure the whole body is involved. Take note if movement is only concentrated to one side.
• After the seizing has stopped, don’t move your child around too much as you can initiate another one, but do know your child will be passed out for a while afterwards.
• Take notice to make sure their breathing is even.
• If you can take their temperature without too much jostling, absolutely do so. It will probably be really, really high and it is important to bring their body temperature down. Once they wake, give them the doctor-recommended dosage of fever-reducing medication.
• Be sure to make an appointment with your pediatrician as soon as possible so they can note this in your child’s medical record and determine the reason for their illness.

Over the last year, Charlie has had six seizures. It’s just part of our reality now, but it has done nothing to affect his development whatsoever, and it is important to note that it never will. But even armed with everything I know, I will never get used to watching one happen and, being honest, it is positively frightening in the moment. If I ever get the opportunity though to discuss this with another parent, I do, because someone else may experience this with their child at some point. But know the vast majority of children who have one will not have another one, and so don’t fret about this for even one second, mamas!

As we enter into a time of colder weather and undoubtedly more trips to the doctor, just remember the things I have told you here and we’ll make it through another season of frequent illness together!