There are convulsions at a temperature. Convulsions at a temperature in a child

Fever in children can be caused by various factors. At the same time, young parents often encounter such a symptom as convulsions at a temperature in a child. To be honest, parents can lose their nerves at the sight of a suffering and twitching child. However, the panic worst medicine for you and your baby suffering from high fever.

What caused this phenomenon, why does the baby have convulsions when the temperature rises, and also how should parents behave in this case? Let's talk about this in detail.

Febrile seizures in children

Convulsions elevated temperature V medical practice called febrile. As a rule, they can appear in children aged 6 months to 6 years in cases where the fever rises to 38.5 degrees. But, it is worth noting that sometimes they occur at a lower body temperature.

Install exact reason their development to date has not yet been successful. But provoking factors remain vaccination, SARS and colds. Sometimes, febrile seizures occur during teething.

Basically, doctors point to hereditary predisposition. If any of the close relatives have previously experienced febrile convulsions, then there is high risk their development in children. In addition, if relatives have the fact of epilepsy, then the probability febrile seizures increases significantly.

Meanwhile, in medicine, typical and atypical convulsions are distinguished. If, with typical types, the whole body is involved in children, and the attack itself lasts no more than 5 minutes, but the child loses consciousness, then with atypical types, the duration of the attack can last about 15 minutes, while only one part of the body is involved. Attacks can be repeated several times a day.

As a rule, during an attack, the baby does not react to the environment, cyanosis appears on the body, and breath is held. And although the attack does not last more than 15 minutes, it can pass in series. Convulsions are present in every third child with heat.

Causes of seizures in children and the rules of parental behavior during an attack

Seizures in children may be various reasons, including, apart from hereditary factor pathology plays an important role prenatal development, complications during childbirth, as well as craniocerebral trauma. But, basically, the provoking factor is high temperature, fever.

During an attack, the baby throws his head back, his limbs are extended, and the muscles of the body are tense. At the same time, the baby firmly clamps his teeth. Sometimes, during an attack, involuntary urination or defecation is observed.

The first thing parents need to do is call an ambulance and ensure that he is completely safe. That is, to do everything possible for his safety. Also, remove all clothing that hinders his movements, and lay on his side on a flat surface.

If, before the arrival of the ambulance, the parents observe cyanosis on the body, and the child’s breathing becomes intermittent, then it is advisable to sprinkle his face cold water. What can't parents do? In no case should it be given to drink during an attack, and in order to bring down the temperature, pour it into his mouth. antipyretic syrup or other medicine.

Only the introduction of rectal suppositories is allowed! Parents should note the duration of the attack and remember exactly how the attacks go - this is very important. important information for the attending physician. It sounds very wild, but the experience of doctors has proven that the best thing you can do for a baby is to film an attack on a phone camera. No matter how terrible it may sound, but such information for a doctor is invaluable.

Non-drug method of lowering body temperature in children with convulsions

Parents often ask if medication should be taken if a child has high temperature convulsions occur. Doctors say that such attacks do not pose any serious danger. And if they occur against the background of high temperature, while their duration does not exceed 15 minutes, then no serious treatment is needed.

As a preventive measure, such children are prescribed drugs containing calcium and sedatives. In each individual case, the doctor provides parents with individual advice and will give all recommendations on how parents should behave in case they need to do if the attacks recur. That is why an accurate description of the course of the attack and its duration is so necessary.

In some cases, seizures may indicate the development of a more serious neurological disease. What symptoms should parents look out for?

If seizures occur without fever;
If convulsions affect only half of the body;
If convulsions appear before 6 months and after 6 years.

All listed cases may indicate the development of a more serious disease, so you will need qualified medical advice.

In order to prevent seizures, parents should do the following:

Do not allow temperatures above 38.5 body degrees,
avoid overheating of the body,
do not visit the sauna and do not sunbathe in the open sun.

If convulsions have already occurred in a child, then parents need to systematically measure his body temperature and it is advisable to give the child antipyretic drugs on a planned basis. It is very important to learn how to properly provide first aid to the baby in case the attack recurs.

What should parents do if the moment of raising the temperature is missed, and the baby is already on fire? How to bring down the heat of the body in those children who are prone to convulsions. As mentioned above, during an attack, antipyretic drugs in the form of suspensions or tablets should not be given to the child. Give preference to rectal suppositories.

As regards first aid medicines, then in this case, doctors recommend providing the baby right conditions. It must be understood that at a high temperature, the child's body loses a lot of fluid. That's why:

If the temperature rises rapidly, first of all, parents should provide the baby plentiful drink- fruit drink, decoction of raisins, compotes, etc.
Don't give your baby fizzy drinks.
The air in the room should be fresh and cool.

In no case do not try to bring down the temperature with old grandmother's methods:

Vinegar,
alcohol,
ice
cold wrap.

This can cause vasospasm, which is highly undesirable for the health of the baby.

To bring down the temperature without drugs, modern pediatricians recommend wiping the baby with a handkerchief dipped in warm water.

Remember that convulsions at a temperature in a child are not dangerous for him. general condition, while parents should know exactly how to give him the right first aid.

In young children, the temperature can sometimes be accompanied by a very unpleasant and terrible phenomenon - convulsions. This happens in about 5% of sick children under the age of 6 years. Many parents, seeing this, fall into a real panic, believing that this can threaten their baby's life.

Are such spasms dangerous at high temperatures in babies, what to do and is it possible to somehow help the child? To do this, you need to define cause of seizures in children at high temperature. It will not be possible to do without a doctor, because improper treatment in this situation can cost the baby his life.

Causes of spasms

Spasmodic seizures in children with hyperthermia are also called febrile convulsions. Such spasms begin, as a rule, at a body temperature above 38, but sometimes malaise can occur at lower temperatures.

Hyperthermic convulsions manifestations may manifest themselves with infection respiratory tract, colds, otitis and other diseases that provoke fever. In babies, it often happens even during teething.

The main cause of seizures at a temperature in a child is the incomplete formation of the nervous system. The baby's body is only developing and imperfect, so the processes of excitation in the brain can proceed faster than the processes of inhibition. Spasms in this case are the result of just such processes in the brain.

The main contributing factor to convulsions is heredity. If parents or other relatives in childhood had a similar reaction of the body to an increase in temperature, the chances that this same ailment will suffer and the baby will be very high. If any of the relatives suffer from epilepsy, or have suffered in the past, then the baby is most likely to experience something similar. Usually, when planning a pregnancy, future parents track hereditary diseases across generations.

In order to reassure parents, it should be noted that convulsions at a temperature are not a disease, this is only part of the functioning developing organism. That is why such spasms do not carry any harm to health. It is not necessary to immediately diagnose epilepsy. Such a serious disease is diagnosed in only 2% of children with febrile convulsions. However, in order to exclude the risk of serious diseases, in the presence of such a sign, it is better to seek the advice of a specialist. If such spasms torment a child 6 years old and older, then this serious occasion go to the hospital.

Spasms can be a sign of the following diseases:

inflammation of the membranes of the brain and the organ itself;
epilepsy;
various infections;
poisoning;
diabetes;
rickets.

Signs and symptoms

Spasms can be easily recognized. They manifest themselves in different ways, it all depends on the type, but it is difficult to confuse seizures with something else.

The main types of seizures:

Tonic. They affect the whole body, so outwardly they are very similar to an epileptic seizure. Spasms are accompanied by unnatural tension of the whole body of the child, straightening and bending of the limbs, and twitching of all parts of the body.
Local. This type of seizure is characterized by rolling the eyes and twitching of the limbs. Similar spasms capture all muscle groups separately.
Atonic. Tonic spasm is the opposite. It is expressed in the relaxation of all muscles, and sometimes such a spasm can be complicated by defecation and urination.

During seizures, the baby, as a rule, does not respond to external stimuli, he can look terribly at one point, hold his breath until his skin turns blue, lose consciousness. Muscle contractions usually last no more than 15 minutes, but can be repeated several times a day.

How to learn to recognize febrile spasms

Even knowing what this phenomenon looks like, it is easy to confuse it with other types of seizures. The diagnosis depends on the nature of the convulsions, it can be the usual involuntary twitching during sleep, or it can be a mild epileptic seizure, which is a more serious disease than a simple spasm.

Occur exclusively with hyperthermia. That is, only when the body temperature reaches a certain level, the body can respond with a spasm. Second characteristic difference febrile seizures from another type of spasms - the age of the child. Only children under 6 years of age can suffer from such convulsions, older children are at risk of epileptic seizures. Only 2% of children under 6 years of age have epilepsy.

Often, seizures begin to overcome the baby in a dream. If parents notice seizures at a temperature in a child, the baby arches the body, arms and legs in spasms, you need to wake him up immediately. If the child does not wake up, opens his eyes, but does not seem to see his parents, these are probably febrile convulsions. After such an incident, the child may complain about aching pain in the muscles, but will not be able to explain what happened to him, because he will not remember.

To protect the baby and discard the variant of epilepsy, you can certainly do an electroencephalogram. Only in the hospital, based on the results of such a procedure, the doctor will be able to give an opinion and make an accurate diagnosis.

Possible consequences

Febrile seizures usually appear only in early childhood and have no effect on later life and human health. Convulsions are dangerous occurring after 6 years of age. These spasms can lead to wrong development nervous system. But even under such conditions, the likelihood of developing epilepsy only on the basis of rare seizures at a temperature is very small.

The only thing that can harm a baby against a background of febrile convulsions is to inadvertently injure or hit. Since this can lead to serious injuries, parents who know what the baby is capable of with hyperthermia should protect him and make sure that he is under the constant supervision of adults.

First aid

If the baby had convulsions, first of all, you need to call an ambulance. While the ambulance is on the way, you need to lay the child on its side and make sure that its head is turned to the surface. Thus, if at a high temperature the baby vomits, he will not choke on vomit. Parents should watch ensure that during a seizure the child does not hit his head on the surface or parts of the crib.

Under no circumstances should medication be given to a child during a seizure. Pour in liquid preparation, insert tablets, pour water. During spasms, it is already difficult for the baby to breathe, and if you “help” him, then the child may simply suffocate.

While the ambulance is coming, you can impose on the child wet cool compress. The ambulance sometimes gives advice over the phone, thereby guiding and reassuring young inexperienced parents.

It is necessary to remember or write down how long the convulsions lasted, what the baby did at the same time, how everything happened, whether he lost consciousness, for how long. This information will help the doctor in making a diagnosis. . If, having studied the picture of the disease, the pediatrician had doubts about the nature of the spasms, he will send the parents with the child for tests.

If there is no way to call an ambulance, need to bring down the temperature. Immediately after the attack, the baby should be given a baby antipyretic. For infants, paracetamol suppositories can be used, and for older children, it is recommended to give a syrup or tablet.

Correct treatment strategy

If more than 1 attack occurred per day, lasting more than 15 minutes, you should seriously think about treatment. The therapy should be from taking antipyretic and anticonvulsant drugs.

Doctors recommend giving children phenobarbital, which prevents the risk of relapse up to 90%. The drug is administered at the rate of 4-5 mg per 1 kg of body weight of the child and only after the complete cessation of convulsions. The injection should be given by a medical professional.

convulsive seizures can be treated with diazepam, the dose of which is 0.5 mg per 1 kg of body weight 1 time per day. Among the recommended drugs that can help the child, Lorazepam comes off, which should be given in an amount of 0.2 mg of the drug per 1 kg of body weight per day.

Treatment can be mentally divided into 3 techniques:

using antiepileptic drugs;
with the help of anticonvulsants;
with antipyretic tablets and syrups.

It is important to remember that means that lower the temperature can only bring down the fever, but by no means guarantee the absence of a relapse in the next hyperthermia in a child. Many tablets and syrups have contraindications and side effects. Since the child's body is not yet strong, it is not a fact that he will be able to cope with the consequences. improper treatment. That is why treatment should be carried out exclusively by a doctor, while parents are assigned the role of vigilant round-the-clock observers of the child.

Prevention

In order to avoid children's temperature cramps, you must first of all be attentive to the behavior of the child. If the usual playfulness has been replaced by drowsiness, you must immediately bring down the temperature. The problem is that babies, unlike adults, the temperature rises incredibly quickly and parents, most likely, will not have time to bring it down.

If at least once convulsions were noticed at a temperature, you need to make it a rule to measure the temperature of the baby as often as possible and, having noticed its growth, immediately give an antipyretic.

There is a special restorative therapy that can serve as a preventive measure. Therapy includes taking drugs that strengthen the nervous system. If the baby is still very small or simply does not want to take pills, he is prescribed children's Paracetamol.

Often doctors prescribe Ibuprofen in syrup or Efferalgan suppositories, which are suitable for both infants and older children.

In adulthood a person will not remember that he once had convulsions, from such unpleasant phenomenon there will be no physical or moral trace. The kids who less than a year have the ability quick recovery brain potential and therefore after febrile convulsions recover much faster than older children. The more frequent convulsions occur, the longer they last, the more intense, the deeper oxygen starvation brain.

If we are talking about the first attacks of epilepsy, then professional and the right approach to the problem, that is complex treatment specialist epileptologist. Without treatment, each seizure will be more intense and mental capacity will be irrevocably reduced.

conclusions

Childhood febrile seizures- Not a rare event and if they happen to a baby, you should not panic. Moreover, you do not need to grab the baby by the arms and legs in an attempt to give him natural look, start rubbing his limbs and poke them with needles ( frequent method getting rid of muscle cramps in adults). It must be remembered that now in your hands is a fragile children's body, which suffers not only from fever, but also from convulsions.

It is best to leave the child alone, hold him, stroke him, make sure that he does not harm himself and does not choke on his own saliva. At the end of the attack, many children instantly fall asleep. You should not be afraid of this, just a seizure took a lot of energy from the baby.

In order to protect yourself and your baby, you need not be limited to a district multidisciplinary pediatrician, but visit narrow-profile children's specialists and spend more time with your child. Only mom and dad will be able to determine in time if the baby is sick, if he has a temperature and if he needs help.

The first thing you need to know is that febrile seizures in children have nothing to do with epileptic seizures. Usually similar phenomenon seen in children preschool age during severe form flu, colds and other diseases accompanied by high fever. Convulsions in children at a temperature have single character and after the recession, the heat does not recur.

Should I be worried?

Any mother is worried about such conditions in a child. Doctors assure that if convulsive conditions occur only during a high temperature (from 38 degrees), but do not appear after recovery, there is no reason for concern.

In addition, if the attack lasts less than a quarter of an hour, then it does not require additional treatment. Seizures lasting longer than 15 minutes require special anticonvulsant drugs.

The disease usually affects children from six months to three years and endure it without consequences.

Another thing is if febrile convulsions occur in children older than 6 years. This condition can already speak of epilepsy. And yet, this can only be confirmed after a full examination.

What causes febrile seizures

Doctors still do not know for sure why convulsions occur in children with a high temperature. The most common theory is that they, like many convulsions of a different kind, are provoked by inhibitory processes in the development of the brain.

Also, the cause of this ailment can be a head injury, drug poisoning, immaturity of the nervous system, congenital malformation and genetic diseases.

Only one thing is certain - febrile seizures occur due to high fever. The impetus for this can be not only pneumonia or SARS, but also the usual routine vaccination. In addition, the fever may rise against the background allergic reaction. In this case, there is a risk of confusing febrile convulsions in a child at a temperature with anaphylactic shock.

In order to find out for certain the cause of convulsive conditions, and in the future to stop them, it is necessary to find out if any of the close relatives have a predisposition to such a syndrome.

How do muscle spasms manifest?

Some mothers often confuse seizures in a child with high fever with epilepsy. Indeed, there are some similarities between these attacks. Signs of a convulsive state are as follows:

with tonic convulsions, the child’s body seems to be under current - the legs and arms are pulled along the string, the head throws back, the baby cannot cry, move, bend the limbs. The body is constantly shaking. As the seizure subsides, a large trembling begins to pass through the body, which gradually stops;
local convulsions are expressed in single twitches of the limbs or individual parts of the body and are more like nervous tick. Sometimes this condition is accompanied by rolling the eyes;
against the background of atonic convulsions, symptoms of muscle atrophy appear. Occasionally, isolated manifestations of enuresis or involuntary defecation may occur.

Complete or partial loss of orientation makes febrile convulsions in a child even more like an epileptic seizure. During an attack, the baby may stop breathing for a while.

Sometimes convulsive states last 15 minutes without a break, sometimes - in short series. There is quite high probability repetition similar condition at the next temperature rise.

What to do to parents during an attack

Many mothers do not know what to do during seizures in a child with a high temperature, and may panic. Fuss and shouting will not lead to anything good. You need to calm down and act.

First of all, you need to call a doctor.
Then, undress the child as much as possible, lay it on a hard surface, for example, a tabletop, and ensure the flow fresh air into the room. In summer you can open the window, in winter you can turn on the fan.
You need to be inseparably close to the child, observing his condition. If the baby is holding his breath, do not touch him. It's better to wait until he exhales and start doing artificial respiration. During the attack, it is impossible to carry out artificial respiration, since the upper respiratory tract is blocked by convulsions.
No need to take the initiative and try to pour any medicine or water into the child's mouth. Also, do not open his jaw to insert a finger or a spoon into his mouth. Such actions can only aggravate the condition of the baby.
To reduce the temperature during a seizure, drugs should not be given orally, but it is quite acceptable to use rectal suppositories with paracetamol.

Short-term seizures (up to 15 minutes), which appear singly or very rarely, do not require medical treatment.

To stop more frequent and prolonged seizures, the doctor may prescribe anticonvulsant drugs like Phenobarbital, Phenytoin, Valproic acid, etc.

Prevention

Febrile seizures can only be prevented with medication. Such treatment is prescribed by a neuropathologist in the case of regularly occurring long-term attacks.

One of the indicators for preventive treatment febrile seizures in children is the risk of degeneration into epilepsy. Since such a probability is negligible, then prevention is prescribed extremely rarely.

Temperature in children under 6 years old can be accompanied by a very unpleasant and frightening phenomenon - convulsions. This happens about 5% of the time. At the sight of this, many parents panic, thinking that convulsions can threaten the life of the baby.

However, are spasms at a temperature in young children really that dangerous? How to determine why this happened, and what to do if convulsions appear at a high temperature? Is it necessary to see a doctor? For this you need to understand real reason seizures at a temperature: knowing this issue will help identify the danger to the health of the baby, if any.

Causes

Spasmodic seizures during hyperthermia are also called febrile convulsions. At what temperature do seizures start in a child? They begin at temperatures above 38 ºС. In some cases, they also occur at temperatures below this.

Hyperthermia with convulsive manifestations is caused by colds, respiratory tract infections, and anything that can cause feverish state. Sometimes it can even be teething.

The main cause of seizures against the background of high fever in children younger age- imperfection of the nervous system. Children's body is still developing, and therefore the processes of excitation in the brain are stronger than the processes of inhibition. Spasms are the result of corresponding processes in the cerebral cortex.

One contributing factor is heredity.. If relatives, especially parents, had a similar body reaction to temperature in childhood, this increases the predisposition to such manifestations in their children. The presence of epilepsy in one of the close relatives also affects.

Febrile seizures in children under 6 years of age are not a disease. This is a feature of the children's nervous system, and it does not cause harm to health.

Do not immediately think that the baby has epilepsy. It is diagnosed in only 2% of children with febrile seizures. However, if you experience this phenomenon, consult a doctor to rule out the risk of serious diseases.

If spasms with hyperthermia are observed in children over 6 years old - this is an alarming sign.

Details about the causes of seizures, when they may appear:

The most affordable antipyretic is and the instructions for use will help to stop the temperature rise in time.
Can be used as a syrup for very crumbs Ibuprofen: instructions for use for children and other aspects of its administration - c.
Sometimes, as an antipyretic, the doctor prescribes Nurofen syrup, dosage for children and precautions -.

Seizures can manifest themselves as a number of diseases:

Symptoms and signs

Seizures are easily recognizable. They manifest themselves differently depending on the type, but they are difficult to confuse with something else.

Here are their main types:

Local- they are characterized by twitching of the limbs and rolling of the eyes. Such spasms capture individual muscle groups.
tonic- they act on the whole body, therefore they are accompanied by unnatural tension, flexion or straightening of the limbs, which are replaced by twitching of body parts.
Atonic- the opposite of tonic spasms, expressed in complete relaxation all muscles, sometimes accompanied involuntary urination or defecation.

During spasms, the baby does not respond to external influences, he can hold his breath, look away. Sometimes the baby's skin even turns blue. In some cases, he loses consciousness.

Typically, muscle contractions last no more than 15 minutes. Attacks can be repeated several times.

How to recognize febrile spasms and distinguish them from others

Sometimes the described phenomenon can still be confused with others. For example, depending on the nature of the convulsions, with twitching in sleep or an epileptic seizure.

This phenomenon occurs only with hyperthermia. If your child is under 6 years old and you are experiencing similar symptoms, most likely, these are febrile convulsions, because of all children suffering from convulsive phenomena, only 2% are sick with epilepsy.

Sometimes attacks begin in a dream. If you notice that in a dream at a temperature the child has cramps in the legs or arms, he twitches his limbs or arches his body, wake him up. If the baby does not immediately respond to your actions, does not hear you and is as if unconscious, then these are febrile convulsions. After that, he may complain of pain or not be able to explain what happened at all.

To know if a son or daughter suffers from epilepsy, you need to do an electroencephalogram. Only on the basis of the results of this procedure can a diagnosis be made.

How convulsions look and manifest at a high temperature in an infant or an older child, the video will show:

Possible consequences

Febrile convulsions that occurred in early childhood do not affect the future life and health of a person. The only danger that may arise is spasmodic phenomena in children after 6 years of age.

They can lead to underdevelopment of the nervous system in the future. The chance of developing epilepsy is very low.

During spasmodic attacks, the baby can injure himself or hit himself hard. This can lead to injury, so you should take action during an attack.

First aid

In case of convulsions, call ambulance. Before her arrival, lay the baby on a straight surface on its side so that the head is turned to the surface. So he will not choke on vomit if the child vomits at a temperature and convulsions. Make sure that he does not hit his head during a convulsive fit.

Never try to give the patient medicine during a seizure. Cannot be poured into the mouth liquid medicine or pills, since breathing is difficult during convulsions, the baby may suffocate.

Before the arrival of doctors, you can use a wet compress. Sometimes ambulance doctors give advice over the phone on what to do while the ambulance is on the way.

Try to remember how long the seizure lasted, what happened, if the baby lost consciousness, then for how long, etc. This will help the doctor understand big picture diseases and, in case of suspicion of serious deviations from the norm, refer you for tests.

If it so happened that there is no way to call an ambulance, you need to get rid of hyperthermia. To do this, after an attack of spasms, when the baby is in calm state, you need to give an antipyretic. It can be a syrup or a tablet, and for babies it can be used.

Open the window: it is desirable to let more oxygen into the room in order to facilitate the patient's breathing.

Detailed treatment strategy

It is worth thinking about treatment if seizures last more than 15 minutes or if there was more than one seizure per day. Treatment consists of taking anticonvulsant drugs.

Usually it is Phenobarbital, which prevents the risk of relapse by 90%. It is administered during an attack or after it, the dose is up to 5 mg per kg of body weight. Please note that a medical worker should give injections during an attack.

It is possible to treat convulsive seizures with Diazepam, the dose is up to 0.5 mg per kg once a day. Another anticonvulsant that can help the baby is Lorazepam. It should be used in an amount of up to 0.2 mg per 1 kg of body weight per day.

There are 3 types of treatment available:

taking antiepileptic drugs;
taking anticonvulsant drugs;
the use of antipyretics.

Antipyretics will only help to bring down the temperature, but do not guarantee that with hyperthermia the baby will not have a seizure again.

Many of the drugs have side effects, and the body is still weak, so that they pass completely without a trace. You need to be treated, you just need to calculate the dosage very accurately, and only a doctor will help you with this.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

Dr. Komarovsky believes that febrile convulsions in children under 6 years of age are not dangerous. The child's body is simply sensitive to hyperthermia. Children outgrow this phenomenon without harm to health.

Komarovsky says that you need to ensure that the temperature in children does not rise above 38 degrees. Antipyretics should be used when the temperature has just appeared. Means of combating spasm - antipyretic and sedatives.

How to avoid seizures at a temperature in children? It's hard to talk about prevention, because in young children the temperature can rise quickly, and you will not have time to bring it down.

It is necessary to measure the temperature of the baby’s body as often as possible when he is sick, so that if it starts to rise, immediately give an antipyretic and avoid an attack of spasms.

There is also a general strengthening therapy, which can also serve as a preventive measure. It includes taking drugs to strengthen the nervous system.

If the child cannot take pills or he is just small, then the appointment will help to comply with the dosage and still give him medicine.
Doctors prescribe baby syrup Ibufen, and the instructions will help you choose exactly the right dosage- learn about the rules of admission.

Conclusion

Febrile seizures are not uncommon. If your baby still has them, do not panic.

Do not grab his hands during an attack and try to forcefully return the body to its natural position, as you can injure it.

Just try hold him carefully and make sure that he does not choke on saliva and harm himself. After an attack, many children fall asleep - this is also normal, because involuntary muscle contractions take away energy from the body.

Now you know exactly what febrile convulsions look like and what is dangerous in a child with a temperature. If you are worried that spasms at a temperature are a harbinger dangerous disease visit your neurologist and therapist regularly, and serious problems can be avoided.

In contact with

Convulsions with fever in children early age are quite common and an unpleasant problem. Often they frighten those who are watching. Most often they stop without any medical intervention and do not pose any particular danger.

Causes of seizures

Medical terminology - febrile convulsions occur against the background of underdevelopment of the nervous system in children of the first five years of life. Because of rapid growth temperature, chills begin, which sometimes reaches the contraction of the muscles of the body.

One of the very common cause convulsions, there may be a sharp rise in the child's body temperature with sore throat, flu or colds.

If febrile seizures in children begin with a rise in temperature, this does not necessarily indicate any serious illness Or about how, that and henceforth they will be repeated.

This manifestation usually occurs on the first day of fever, and recurrence is unlikely in subsequent days.

An important role plays a factor such as heredity.

If either parent was prone to febrile or epileptic seizures, this increases the occurrence of seizures in babies.

Diseases that provoke febrile convulsions

Infectious diseases cause generalized spasms, i.e. involve a large group of muscles. As a result of infection, the permeability of the walls of blood vessels increases. fragile nervous system responds to any negative internal and external factors, which can cause swelling of brain tissue (encephalitis, meningitis, neurotoxicosis, etc.).
Hypoxic convulsions are manifested in circulatory disorders, diseases cerebral vessels. They appear in the background oxygen deficiency(traumatic brain injury, tumors).
Metabolic attacks are the result of a lack of calcium, magnesium. They appear in severe rickets (spasmophilia) or hypoglycemia. Convulsions of a local type disappear when the body is replenished with microelements.
Drug intoxication, chemical or food (side effects drugs, vaccinations, drug overdose, or stale food).

Varieties and symptoms of seizures

Convulsions at high temperature in children are divided into three types:

typical;
atypical;
Local.

Typical

Typical febrile seizures in children Komarovsky believes hypersensitivity to high temperature. In his opinion, they do not pose a danger.

Parents need to be on the lookout if the baby has already had seizures. In case of fever, do not wait, but immediately give an antipyretic.

In a typical form of convulsions, the body tenses up, the head is thrown back, and the eyes roll back. At the same time, the legs are straightened, and the arms are pressed to chest. Constant muscle contractions appear, which gradually decrease.

Atypical

What do seizures look like when a child has a temperature atypical? The muscles of the baby's body relax, which often leads to involuntary bowel movements and urination.

Atypical type of seizures last from 20 minutes to 1 hour.

Local

The localized type occurs in a specific part of the body or some side. Often this indicates damage to one part of the cerebral hemisphere. Symptoms of very common seizures are muscle spasms upper limbs and calf muscles.

First aid for seizures

Parents should be familiar with the clinical picture and know how convulsions appear in a child at a temperature.

During seizures, the baby does not respond to others, there is a partial or complete loss of consciousness. Therefore, continuous monitoring of children prone to febrile seizures is necessary.

Breathing becomes difficult, a discharge appears in the form of foam on the lips, or vomiting may begin. Skin covering turns pale, sometimes becomes cyanotic. Rhythmic contractions of the muscles of the body or any part of it begin. Head tilted back, teeth clenched tightly, eyes rolled back.

If there are convulsions at a temperature in a child, what should I do? At the first sign of these symptoms, parents should be able to provide assistance on their own before the arrival of the doctor.

Temperature Convulsions in Children: 9 Steps to Help

Try not to worry and do not fuss, call emergency help.
Lay your baby down on a hard, flat surface.
Take off your clothes, open a window for ventilation.
Remove sharp objects.
If at muscle spasms the baby bites his tongue, you need to spread the jaws with a pencil and put a tourniquet of fabric.
Carry out wet rubdowns, rubbing alternately each part of the body for 2-3 minutes.
Do not cover the crumbs with blankets, trying to bring down the temperature.
To avoid asphyxia with vomit, do not leave the child alone.
Do not try to bring to consciousness a pat on the cheeks, to ensure complete peace.

Diagnostics

Repeating convulsions in a child at a temperature Komarovsky considers it necessary to immediately diagnose in medical institution. You need to visit a pediatric neurologist, which will give directions to a number of surveys.

Basic examinations for febrile convulsions in children

computed tomography of the brain;
a blood test for the amount of calcium;
blood sugar test;
V rare cases puncture of spinal cord fluid;
general analysis of blood and urine;
electroencephalography of the brain;
visiting a vascular surgeon;
analysis of feces for eggs.

What you need to know about epilepsy

Based clinical examinations one must be careful in predictions. There are several forms of this serious illness . With one type of illness, the attacks are short, the child can just be dumbfounded for a moment and stop looking. And with a more severe form of epilepsy, complete loss of consciousness, foamy discharge from oral cavity, often swallowing the tongue.

Recurrent seizures without fever in an older child may indicate epilepsy.

Children suffering from this disease must be registered with a specialist doctor. Epilepsy is a chronic disease, but there are a number of medications that reduce the number of seizures.

Treatment and consequences of febrile seizures

Convulsions with fever in children at drug treatment start with minimum doses , which are gradually increased to a therapeutic dose. If the anticonvulsant drug does not stop the seizures, another one is prescribed.

Parents should understand the main purpose of the drug selection event. The most suitable pediatric drugs for the treatment of convulsive syndrome are given in the table ( daily dose in mg per 1 kg of weight):

Name of the drug

Warning and prevention

Compliance and correct image life, will minimize the recurrence of convulsions at a temperature in young children.

Tips for parents if the child has seizures at a temperature

save the baby from stressful situations;
prevent overheating of the body;
do not put a TV, computer equipment in the children's room;
to ventilate the room;
avoid strong odors;
walk in the fresh air.

Timely consultation with a doctor at the first episodes febrile seizures, appointment correct therapy, will help to dispel thoughts about terrible diagnosis . Cooperation medical professionals and parents, is the key to successful treatment.

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