Diagnosis of Febrile convulsions

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A febrile convulsion may be the first sign that a child has a fever. It is important to find out what illness is causing the fever, as soon as possible after a fit. This is because there is a small chance that the cause could be meningitis, a serious illness causing swelling of the brain. It is most common in children who are under 1 year old and who do not return to normal when the fit is over.

Once the cause of the fever has been found, for example chickenpox or an ear infection, it can be treated and it will be clear to your GP that the seizure was a febrile convulsion.

If the child has a history of epilepsy, it can be difficult to tell the difference between febrile convulsions and epileptic fits. Febrile convulsions only happen when there is also a fever, whereas epileptic fits can have other triggers.

If the child has complicated febrile seizures (jerking in only one limb or part of the body, carrying on for a long period, or happening more than once during a particular illness), they may need further tests. These include computerised tomography (CT scan) or a lumbar puncture, when a sample of the fluid that is around the spine is removed using a thin needle. An electroencephalogram (EEG) is sometimes carried out, particularly if the child is developing slowly or has other signs of brain problems.