Febrile Seizures

Dear M.:

Your precision with observation is great and is a very helpful attribute when dealing with any health issue. If you are not doing so already, write everything you observe down and date it. Was an EEG done? If not, especially if it will be a while before you can get into the neurologist, ask your pediatrician or whoever acts as primary care to order one. (results can be sent to both the pediatricians office and the neuro.-even if you have not yet had your first visit.) Some believe that you have to wait until a child has another seizure to have validity for EEG testing; this is not true. The EEG is the basic diagnostic tool in seizure cases. Plus, a neurologist will need the info. from an EEG to make any kind of assesment.
Not all cases of seizures fit the textbook model, in fact, to some degree or other, most don't. Seizure patterns,even within individuals change, so one can imagine the differences that will occur between individuals, even those with the same type of seizures. Febrile seizures can have many triggers, from allergic reactions to illness with or without fevers or fever spikes--much of it depends upon the system of the individual.
Most of my personal experience with seizures is related to dealing with epilepsy most of my life. It was diagnosed when I was about 11, but I had seizures, largely unnoticed, for years prior to that. I have friends and relatives who have had to deal with their children's febrile seizures as well as friends that have had to deal personally with other forms of seizures.
From your post, it sounds like you are a person who seeks out knowledge, and accurate information; keep at it!
You and your family are in my prayers,
J.

There are over a thousand different types of seizures my daughter had one in the middle of the night when she was alert but not fully and just shook for over three minutes. I took her for an eeg and they found nothing she eventually had a couple more but then outgrew them, sometimes girls have strange ways of developing. Just keep your eye on her fevers and if it gets near the 102 mark give her pediaprofin which your doctor probably prescribed for such seizures and then have her thoroughly checked by a neuro doctor. Hopefully it will never happen again. D.

Hi M.!

I'm so sorry about your recent experience! That is such a scary thing to go through, and I know that the answers never seem concrete enough. I have been a pediatric nurse for 8 years- 6 of which have been in a Pediatric ICU. I have seen several febrile seizures, and can tell you that they all have differences and inconsistencies... rarely does any child follow the textbook... but each child needs to be examined and treated as an individual, and not lumped into a group. If you feel like your child has been "lumped" by a health care professional, advocate for her until you get answers that make sense!

The fever of 3 hours prior to the seizure is something we frequently see. Any time a child gets over 100, some measures need to be taken to bring the fever down- Tylenol, Ibuprofen, uncovering from under blankets, tepid bath... etc. If vomiting is an issue, and you are unable to get medicines to stay down, there are rectal forms as well (not as fun to give, but they work!)

At 4 and a half, that isn't too old to start... most kids with febrile seizures do end up "outgrowing them" but not until 10 or even later!

The thing that concerns me some is the fact that she only convulsed on one side, and that she did not regain movement for so long. I think that that fact in and of itself warrants at least a follow-up with a pediatric neurologist, and an EEG. It probably won't turn out to be anything but an individual variation, but it will help to ease your mind, and baseline tests are always nice to have.

After a seizure, a period of being "out of it" is very common and can last for up to a day! It's called the "post-ictal" period, and I have heard physicians describe it as the "time it takes for the brain to 'reset' itself." It should not have any lasting effects, though. After that initial period, you should not be able to see any residual weakness on the side that convulsed, and her smiles should be symmetrical. She should be able to stick her tongue out straight, and not have it deviate to the right or left. She should also be back to herself, and not sluggish. If any of these occur, she needs to be seen by a physician.

I want to reiterate that a seizure precipitated by fever is NOT necessarily an indicator that your child will develop a seizure-related disorder. With a child who has had one in the past, though, I would monitor her closely the next time she gets feverish, and try to keep it down preventatively by alternating Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and Motrin (Ibuprofen), giving one of them every 3 hours around the clock until the illness has run its course. Also remember to keep her very well-hydrated during a fever... your body needs more fluids when "running hot" because it is more work on all of her body's systems when feverish.

Hang in there! Listen to your gut and advocate for your little girl. Good luck, M.! Hope this helps!
-A.

M.

I have never had a child with these symptoms,but I believe that listening to the doctor is very good on your part.A pediatrician is a good resource for a child with involvement. And if you have been recommended to a pediatric neuro I would definitely do my homework. I would not stop til I felt comfortable with a doctor's recommendations of what is wrong with your daughter. It is unfortunate that ER docs can often misinterrept something and I would say head for the specialist asap!!! The sooner the better. A child such as your daughter's age is not to be dilly dallied around with.She is still in a crucial stage of her life.Just follow your heart as a mom and don't give in without a fight. Moms just have a way of knowing...............good luck!!!

Dr. Shaw, pediatric neurologist is wonderful. I have a younger brother with a seizure disorder and also a god child with epilepsy. With medication both function normally with very little problems and regular check ups. I will place your little girl in my prayers. Ask for EEG and MRI with and without contrast

I don't know of febrile seizures but some of those things like you mentioned not being herself for some time after a seizure sounds so much like me when i was little and now because i have seizures due to epilepsy. I to reccommend you see a peds. And yes i have heard that seizures can be brought on by a fever. I am wondering if the fever although showing same on the thermometer just intensified and caused this to occur. Sorry it sounds good in my head but i may not be making sense to you. Hopefully i helped some. I hope you get the answers you need and they take care of you and your daughter.

my daughter had the same thing when she was 1. it was due to a high fever of 103. it lasted about 30 min , then she never had another until she was 5 yrs old. and that one lasted just a few mins. and now she is 15 and hasnt had one since. i believe you are doing the best thing you can. as you see you are not the only one with a child that has this problem.

Hello my name is Rebecca, Had your daughter been sick at all?

My son when he was two had been running a temp of about 103, when it went to 104 my husband took him to the ER. At the ER my son had a febrile seizure. The doctor my son saw told my husband that the seizures could happen again, and if it did to bring my son back in. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. The doctor also told my husband that children usually grow out of these type of seizures by age four. If I were you I would have further testing done on your daughter, just to be safe.