Fever is a common disease in babies. If you catch a cold, you may have a fever. If you have diarrhea, you may also have a fever. Scaring can also lead to fever. Baby fever must be actively treated, otherwise it may cause seizures and even develop into epilepsy. This article will introduce some things about babies having fever and convulsions.
1、 Why do babies have convulsions when they have a fever
Fever can be said to be the most common sign of a baby. According to statistics, in general, children who go to the hospital due to fever account for 10% to 15% of the outpatient volume for children, and many of them are admitted to the emergency department due to fever convulsions.
There are many reasons for children's seizures, including febrile seizures, epilepsy, electrolyte imbalances, etc. Among them, febrile seizures are the most common cause of children's seizures.
2、 What is febrile convulsion
Febrile seizure, also known as "convulsions", does not simply refer to the "convulsions" that occur when there is a fever.
Febrile seizures refer to the occurrence of seizures in infants and young children (often between 3 months and 6 years old), where a sudden increase in body temperature causes abnormal electrical activity in the brain, leading to generalized muscle spasms. Moreover, the diagnosis of febrile seizures must be made after ruling out intracranial infection or other clear causes.
Prior to this, seizures had also occurred when there was no fever, and could not be diagnosed as febrile seizures.
3、 Is there a relationship between febrile seizures and epilepsy
Many parents see their children convulsing violently, feeling both scared and heartbroken: why does this look so much like epilepsy?
Although the symptoms of febrile seizures and epilepsy are quite similar, they are not the same disease.
Febrile convulsions can be divided into simple and complex types. Simple febrile seizures are more common in children aged 6 months to 3 years, and often occur within 24 hours after fever. The duration of seizures is generally less than 5 minutes, and they will not occur again within 24 hours. After a seizure, the child's electroencephalogram is normal, and their physical and intellectual development is also normal.
Most children who experience febrile seizures are of the simple type, with a generally good prognosis and rarely any sequelae. And as one ages, the likelihood of seizures gradually decreases.
4、 Convulsions can really turn into epilepsy, but the probability is very low
Complex febrile seizures can occur in children under 6 months or over 6 years old, and may also occur when the fever is low (38 ℃). The duration of seizures is more than 15 minutes, with 2 or more episodes within 24 hours and recurrence of 5 or more times. p=
Complex febrile seizures can partially transform into epilepsy and may require long-term treatment. Repeated episodes or prolonged duration of febrile seizures may cause damage to the brain and leave sequelae.
However, parents do not need to be overly nervous, as the probability of febrile seizures turning into epilepsy is relatively low.
Research has found that only 2% -10% of children with febrile seizures will develop epilepsy. After careful care from parents and formal treatment by doctors, most babies will not have any sequelae after febrile seizures.
5、 These babies are prone to febrile seizures
Seeing this, parents may have another question: Do all babies experience febrile seizures? Of course not.
Research shows that about 2% -8% of the population will experience one or more febrile seizures during infancy and early childhood. So which babies are prone to febrile seizures? At present, there are mainly the following situations:
Genetic factors: About 33.7% of children with febrile seizures have a family history, and research has confirmed the genetic location. In other words, if parents had febrile seizures when they were young, their children may also experience febrile seizures;
Delayed development of the nervous system: The child's brain is immature and overly sensitive to high fever, which can easily cause spasms;
Immune system dysfunction: Studies have found that children with febrile seizures have low levels of immunoglobulin.
6、 First aid knowledge that parents should master
What should I do if my baby accidentally experiences febrile seizures? Mom and dad, don't panic too much, try to stay calm and follow the steps below to handle it:
Lie the baby flat on the bed or a flat surface to prevent falling or injury;
Turn his head to one side to promote the expulsion of saliva or vomit;
Do not put anything into his mouth, as tongue bites are rare;
Do not pinch or forcefully bend a person's limbs, as this will not stop the attack and will only increase the damage;
Seek medical attention promptly at the hospital. Most children with seizures have a short duration, generally not exceeding 10-15 minutes. If the seizures continue, they should seek medical attention promptly.
7、 To prevent recurrence, it is essential to understand these
After the first occurrence of febrile seizures, 30% to 40% of babies are likely to have another episode, 75% of babies have another episode within 1 year, and 90% of babies have another episode within 2 years. Therefore, doing a good job in prevention and control to prevent recurrence is what parents need to do.
1. Strengthen nutrition and engage in more outdoor activities
Cold is the most common cause of fever in babies, so it is necessary to strengthen nutrition, engage in regular outdoor activities to enhance physical fitness and improve resistance. In addition, it is also important to avoid catching a cold and avoid crowded areas.
2. When the body temperature reaches 38 ℃, one should actively reduce fever
The methods of fever reduction include physical fever reduction and medication fever reduction. Mom and dad, don't wait until your body temperature reaches 39 ℃ or you have already convulsed before thinking about fever reduction.
3. If there are two febrile seizures or one seizure lasts for more than 15 minutes, take medication immediately
Children with two febrile seizures or a single seizure lasting more than 15 minutes can take short-term intermittent medication, that is, using anticonvulsant drugs when the body temperature exceeds 37.5 ℃, and stopping the medication after the body temperature returns to normal.
4. Long term use of anticonvulsant drugs, stopping seizures for more than 2 years before slowly reducing dosage and stopping medication.
This method is mainly suitable for babies in the following situations: short-term intermittent medication is ineffective; ≥ History of 4 febrile seizures; ≥ History of 2 episodes of low-grade convulsions (
