Does having febrile seizures mean my child will have epilepsy later in life?
No. It is very uncommon for children who have febrile seizures to develop epilepsy (a condition where seizures repeat without fever or other triggers). What should I do if a child is having a seizure? Seizures can be scary to see. If a child is having a seizure, do the following: • Protect the child from injury: • Roll the child gently onto her side. This prevents choking on mucus or vomit. • Remove tight clothing, especially around the neck. • Do not restrain (hold down) the child. Put something soft under her head if it is on a hard surface. • Although she may look like she is not breathing normally, she does not need mouth-to-mouth breathing. Do not place anything in the child’s mouth. • Watch as carefully as you can: • The doctor will want to know how long the seizure lasted. If possible, note the time the seizure begins (twitching of face, arms, legs) and ends (twitching stops; the child may stare blankly and moan). You won’t be able to tell without looking at the time. A seizure
