| |
A febrile convulsion refers to a convulsion
or fit which occurs with a rapid rise in body temperture.
It disrupts family life and gives most unpleasant
experience to both the child and his parents. Children in
the age group of six months to five years are especially
prone to this condition. This is because the child’s
brain is not fully developed and also there is genetic
predisposition for febrile convulsions.
By the age of five years, the vast majority of children
outgrow this susceptibilty to febrile convulsions.
Febrile seizurs rarely develop into epilepsy and they
disappear spontaneously, without any specific treatment.
Most children who have had one febrile convulsion are
likely to have another attack till the age of five years,
but as they grow, the frequency of attack decreases.Symptoms
Usually, there is
a rapid rise in temperature to 102 o C and above,
followed by the attack of convulsions. The child may
become blue in face and his eyes may roll upwards. His
body twitches, his libs tremble and he may become
unconscious. The convulsion may last for few seconds to
10 minutes and this may follow with a very brief period
of drowsiness.
Causes
Any infection of
throat, ears, chest or urinary tract etc. can lead to a
febrile convulsion, if the temperature rises too high and
too rapidly.
Treatment
During the time
the convulsion is in progress, no attempt should be made
to restrain the child’s movements. However, all
sharp objects like toys and furniture should be removed
from the immediate vicinity of the child to avoid the
possibility of an injury. No attempt should be made to
put anything in the child’s mouth. The child should
be turned gently to his sides, so as to ensure that his
breathing is not obstructed and does not choke himself.
As soon as the convulsion has ceased, the child should be
given lots of love and comfort. This is necessary, as,
being unaware of wht has happened to him over the past
few minutes, he may feel confused and frightened. As soon
as he feels reassured, his temperature should be noted
down. The next action must be to cool him. This can be
done by placing a small ice bag on his forehead and
covering his body with a wet towel. His clothing should
be loosened and windows opened. He should be sponged with
tepid water.
The child’s bowel should be cleansed by giving him
warm- water enema. He should not be given anyting to eat
for atleast 24 hours. He may be given only warm water to
drink.
A home remedy found beneficial in the treatment of
convulsion in children caused by high fever is the use of
mustard (raye) seeds. These seeds should be powdered and
a teaspoon of this powder should be mixed in a gallon of
warm water. This can be used as a therapeutic bath for
the child-patient.
Prevention
Once having
witnessed a febrile convulsion, parents will be aware of
the circumstances which can lead upto this frightening
event. So, should a similar situation arise again in
future, that is, a high temperature associated with an
infection somewhere in the body, immediate cooling
action, as outlined above, can be taken. This will reduce
the chances of occurrence of febrile convulsion.
There is no need to take drastic measures to cool the
child, if he only has a low-grade fever. But he should be
made as comfortable as possible and kept generally cool
when he has a fever. This is necessary as the young
child’s brain is still too immature to cope with a
high temperature.
It is of utmost importance that the parents should not
panic, but remain cool and calm in facing the situation.
If they do do and carry out the treatment outlined above,
they will save their children from long-term harm.
[index]
|
