Febrile Fit

• Simple febrile fits commonly occur in children between 6 months to 6 years old. There may be a history of such fits in the family.
• Fits usually occur with high fevers, especially when the temperature reaches 38.5ºC or more.
• In a fit, the child's arms and legs will jerk involuntarily; up-rolling of the eyes and teeth clenching are common signs. The child may also pass motion and/or urine during a fit.
• Fits usually last a few minutes, with some as long as 15 minutes.
• A child will commonly feel sleepy after a fit.
• There is a 30% chance that the child will have another fit, especially if the body temperature maintains at 38.5ºC and above.
• The actual cause of febrile fits has not been clearly established but there may be a background family history associated with it.
• Simple febrile fits do not cause brain damage, nor do they cause delay in child's development.

What To Do When Your Child Has A Febrile Fit?

• Stay calm, DO NOT PANIC!
• Do NOT attempt to put objects such as a spoon or even your finger into the child's mouth. This will only cause unnecessary injury to the child and yourself. Nor should you try to feed the child medication during a fit.
• Place the child on his side to prevent choking of secretions. Try to keep him comfortable by allowing him to lie on a flat surface. Make sure that hard or sharp objects are not in the way as they may hurt the child during the fit.
• Try to bring the fever down after the fit has ceased with either medication prescribed by your doctor, or sponging. However, do not feed any medication orally while your child is still drowsy.
• Always bring your child to the doctor if in doubt Bring the child to a doctor if : This is the first time the child has a febrile fit.
• The fit lasts more than 15 minutes.
• The child is unable to move one side of his body, such as the arms or legs, after the fit.
• The child is unusually irritable or drowsy after the fit.
• The child has injured himself during the fit, such as a head injury as result of falling off a couch.

Taking Care Of A Child With A History Of Febrile Fits

• Monitor the child's body temperature closely every 2 - 4 hours.
• Feed the child medication and sponge him regularly to keep his body temperature below 38.5ºC
• Rectal valium may also be used when fits occur. Check with your doctor on the usage.