Febrile Convulsions

What is a Febrile Convulsion? (This description was taken from NHS Direct website) Febrile convulsions are fits (seizures) that sometimes happen in a child with a high temperature. Febrile means related to fever. They can happen as a result of any illness that causes a high temperature, over 39C (102F). Febrile convulsions usually happen between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. Febrile convulsions can be frightening for parents, especially as they look like epileptic fits. Epilepsy is when a person has fits that aren’t just caused by fever. Children who have one febrile convulsion, are more likely to have another during ...

“Mummy, I feel pooooorly.” It’s 5 in the morning, and Fergus is standing at our bedroom door, wiping his nose with the back of his pyjama clad arm, sending a glaze of snot across his cheek. “Do you want to come and get into bed with mummy and daddy?” Silly question really. Soon he is tucked under the duvet between hubby and I, thumb in mouth, but quieter than usual. Now I can feel the heat his little body is generating, as it permeates his ‘PJ’s’, and realise that Fergus, usually a non-stop fidget and yacker, really isn’t feeling well at all. 5 minutes later, the thermometer, reading 38.3o, confirms the fact. ...

Febrile Convulsions - not something that I had heard of before I started training as a children’s nurse. The word Convulsion struck terror in my heart - how did the parents ever cope? Here was their child, normally bright and bubbly, who hadn’t been feeling too good and had been quite quiet all day, the one they remarked to their partner was "probably coming down with something", suddenly on the floor having some strange sort of fit while all sorts of horror stories are running through their minds. Next thing they know they are in hospital, surrounded by strange people, some of whom see these things every day and so treat it that way ...