Febrile convulsions

Febrile convulsions are convulsions that occur under high temperature seizures from a variety of children — kids from three months to six year old preschoolers. Painful condition manifests itself as a symptom of acute infection or otitis media. Often symptoms appear, if fever in a child seriously increases, from 38 degrees. The beginning of the seizure is clearly seen: the child stops for a few seconds in static stress, and then begin a sharp shaking motion of the hands and feet.

Causes of febrile convulsions

By and large, the reasons for the development and emergence of this disease no one can name. However, some doctors are inclined to think that the main reason may be underdeveloped, immature nervous system of the child and the weakness of some internal processes. This, according to experts, is the main reason for the development of the syndrome.

And develop these cramps are exclusively due to the sharp increase in temperature in a young child. May provoke an attack of the flu, routine vaccination, regular SARS and even the eruption of primary teeth.

Another risk factor is heredity – if parents, close relatives have suffered or still suffer from epilepsy, the risk of seizures in their son, daughter or grandchild significantly increases.

Symptoms of seizures

Experts believe that the febrile convulsions are not a private manifestation of

How does it look?

The seizure usually begins abruptly, with a momentary loss of consciousness followed by stupor. Baby's head leans back, starts, convulsive twitchings. The skin becomes pale, cyanotic tint, the eyes flies backwards. The attack takes place after a few minutes, after which the child wakes up, the color of the skin is restored, but remains a strong weakness.

Some children can Wake up much faster, while others need a lot of time. During the period of seizure, frightened parents, as a rule, not able to perceive the passage of time, so even a short febrile convulsions were perceived as long.

Risk group

At risk includes about 30% of children. Usually, the appearance of febrile convulsions associated with the peculiarities of the Central nervous system of the newborn is weakened, most often because of the increased threshold of nervous sensitivity. In some cases, the seizures begin with a sharp rise in temperature to 39 degrees, and the other is enough rise in temperature to 37-38 degrees. However, most children are still not prone to febrile convulsions.

In addition, the risk group includes children, whose nervous system is weakened and whose threshold of sensitivity is higher than other. In thiscase seizures may occur once or be repeated regularly when the temperature rises to high levels.

However, the doctors cannot give a precise answer to the question of what children in the future will be subject to convulsions. Assumptions of experts boil down to the fact that seizures can occur in preterm babies, children with disorders of the nervous system in children with perinatal injuries of the brain or spine, as well as those who have suffered rapid delivery.

First aid for the occurrence of seizures

Of course, parents are very hard to treat each attack of febrile convulsions. The main thing in that moment not to panic and to prevent the two main factors that can lead to irreversible consequences. First, you need to ensure that the baby choked on vomit or saliva, and to prevent ceasing language. Second, it should prevent injury that may occur at the time of convulsive seizure.

In order to prevent possible negative consequences, you need to put the baby on the table, floor and a bed — any smooth surface, covered with a soft blanket, away from any dangers. This should put the baby in the "rescue position" – on one side, face down. This will prevent the possibility of tongue falling and will not choke on saliva or vomit. No other action parents not need to take: if you begin cramping, call your doctor immediately and do not leave your baby alone.

Until the arrival of emergency need to memorize the duration of the attack and its symptoms – this information will help the doctor to understand what kind of help is required to assist the child and what type of seizures should stop. Pay attention to the fact, in the mind of the child, in what position he was at the start of seizures.

Contrary to popular myth that during the seizure the child will be able to swallow your tongue, it is not. Therefore any object put and forced to cram into the mouth is not necessary: it will only create trauma to the teeth and jaw. As mentioned above, it is better to put children on the side: this will open the possibility of breathing. But the fragments of teeth or a subject that you will try to insert between the teeth, can lead to death.

In addition, try to keep the body from the convulsions not only useless, but also travmoopasno. It will not allow the attack to go faster and does not facilitate it, and your force can damage the fragile bones of a child. In case of loss of consciousness is not necessary to resort to artificial respiration, give to drink or drugs. And while the child is fully awake, do not attempt to water: it can drown.

Diagnosis

If the child has ever happened, febrile seizures, it mustshow the child neurologist. The doctor must carefully examine the little patient and appoint the necessary tests to rule out or confirm possible epilepsy.

Studies in febrile convulsions

The doctor is obliged to give a direction to the following study:

• General and biochemical blood and urine tests.
• Analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid. This measure will allow to exclude from the diagnosis of possible meningitis or encephalitis, which are accompanied by convulsions.
• EEG.
• MRI.

Treatment for febrile convulsions

When the seizure of the baby, immediately give him first aid until the ambulance arrives. First, you need to be near the child were an adult. Second, it needs to be put to one side, face down, to exclude the possibility of the tongue.

You should carefully monitor the child's breath. If at the end of the seizures would be that the baby is not breathing, it is urgently necessary to begin CPR.

As the cause of seizures is usually high fever, the child should be stripped and all the Windows in the room open. If the temperature is very high, it is necessary to use physical methods to reduce it: to wipe the child a wet cold towel or to introduce a candle with paracetamol or other antipyretic. However, try to give the child a medication by mouth is not yet convulsions do not stop, and the kid won't regain consciousness, to give any medications or drink it with water is dangerous.

If cramps do not last more than 10-15 minutes, and appear very rarely, no specific treatment is required. However, if the seizures are regular, and the temperature of the child is constantly increasing, and seizures lasts longer than 15 minutes, ask the doctor from the ambulance had been injected with a special drug against cramps.

Don't forget that febrile convulsions with a high temperature is quite able to be symptoms of the dangerous diseases of the Central nervous system. They are very rare, but diagnosis is possible to quickly identify this disease, so the occurrence of seizures take the child to see a physician.

Prevention of febrile convulsions

Prevention may be required only in the case if convulsive podragivanija recur regularly and last longer than 15 minutes. To self-medicate can not, all prescription must be prescribed by a doctor.

Yes, febrile seizures – not a sight for the faint of heart, but often this phenomenon brings much harm to children's health, especially if medical help is rendered correctly and on time. However, if these attacks are regular and prolonged, parents should be concerned about this fact and to bringthe child on reception to the neurologist. The doctor will put an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment that will help to get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon.

Children who at least once in his life suffered an attack of this kind, in some cases, may develop epilepsy, but the risk is minimal — only about two percent of the total number of developing the syndrome. The doctor can make an accurate diagnosis in the early stages of the disease: for this you need to pass the examination, which will help to determine the cause of febrile seizures and prescribe the correct treatment. As a rule, if no serious disease is not identified, the cramps completely go away. If they continue regularly, and lasts far longer than 15 minutes, you need to go for another examination. However, in most cases, the best role the doctor plays the age of high temperature ceases to affect the nervous system and the child gets rid of the symptoms of febrile seizures.

Therefore, despite the fact that the disease has terrible outwardly symptoms, a serious risk to the health and life this syndrome is not. Children's mortality from febrile seizures is infant mortality due to lack of experience of the parents and not provided in time.

If your child is at risk of febrile convulsions, possess skills of first aid in case of seizure, do not panic. In the event of an attack call an ambulance and put the kid in a rescue position, carefully making sure that the child could not anything to hurt.

In this case, the attack will not bring any harm, and after a while febrile convulsions disappear altogether. After 6 years of age this unpleasant disease goes away without leaving behind any unpleasant consequences.