Fever seizures

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Fever seizures

Fever seizures (febrile seizures) are uncontrolled muscle spasms and unresponsiveness in a child that are caused by a rapid increase in body temperature. They usually last 1 to 3 minutes and are seldom serious.

Fevers that lead to a fever seizure may develop so quickly that parents did not even realize that their child's temperature was rising. Once a fever has reached a high temperature, the risk of a seizure is probably over.

Fever seizures are not a form of epilepsy. A seizure is likely to be fever-related if it meets the following criteria:

The seizure happened within 24 hours of the start of a fever.
The seizure lasted less than 3 to 5 minutes.
The seizure affected the entire body, not just one side of the body.
The child is between 6 months and 6 years old.
The child does not have nervous system (neurological) problems.
The child has had fever seizures before.

Credits

Author	Jeannette Curtis
Author	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Editor	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Tracy Landauer
Associate Editor	Pat Truman
Primary Medical Reviewer	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Last Updated	May 25, 2007

Last updated:	May 25, 2007
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman

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