Febrile convulsions

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Febrile convulsions are fits (seizures) that sometimes happen in a child with a high temperature. Febrile means related to fever. They can happen as a result of any illness that causes a high temperature, over 39C (102F).

Febrile convulsions usually happen between the ages of 6 months and 6 years.

Febrile convulsions can be frightening for parents, especially as they look like epileptic fits. Epilepsy is when a person has fits that arenâ€™t just caused by fever.

Children who have one febrile convulsion, are more likely to have another during the same illness or another illness. There is a slightly higher risk that they will go on to develop epilepsy. This is very rare, but the risk increases if the fit is unusual or severe, if there is a family history of epilepsy, or if the child had brain or development abnormalities before the febrile convulsion.

Around 3 children in every 100 have at least one febrile convulsion.

Most febrile convulsions last less than five minutes.

A complicated or complex seizure is when the seizure:

focuses on one particular part of the body, for example one arm twitches and shakes, but the rest of the body does not;
lasts more than 15 minutes; or
happens soon after another seizure, during the same illness.