Febrile convulsions are quite common. 5% of children under 6 have them and they do run in families. Basically when children develop an infection, their temperature can shoot up and stay up, and then they’re at risk. The convulsion may last less than five minutes, but it’s an alarming experience when your child’s whole body twitches or jerks uncontrollably. Their eyes may roll back in their sockets and their speech can also be affected. Sometimes children froth at the mouth, go blue around the lips and their breathing becomes shallow. Panic is a natural reaction.

What do I do if I think my child is having a febrile convulsion?

Stay calm – hard though it is. If it is the first time, you should call your doctor straight away, and you should always call your doctor if the fit lasts longer than 5 minutes.

While you’re waiting for the doctor you should:

Lay your child on the floor or bed and loosen any tight clothing particularly around the neck
Turn your child on their side to ease breathing
Ensure the mouth is empty
Remove any clothing
If the convulsion shows no sign of stopping or if your child has a series of convulsions in quick succession, go to A&E. If necessary call an ambulance.

What will the doctor do?

Most children settle with nothing more than Calpol to control their temperature, and the convulsion can just be a one off. Sometimes children will need treatment for an infection, but this won’t necessarily involve antibiotics. Most febrile convulsions are associated with viral illnesses and antibiotics do nothing to help get rid of viruses.

If it is the first febrile convulsion, your child may stay in hospital overnight so that further investigations can be done. These may include blood tests, a lumbar puncture or possibly an EEG, which traces the electrical activity in the brain.

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