Home > Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders > Febrile Seizures

Definition

Febrile seizures are the most common type of convulsions in infants or small children and are triggered by fever. It is not in the strict sense an epilepsy syndrome but rather a symptom of a febrile illness, and it normally affects children between three months and five years of age, mainly toddlers. During a febrile seizure, a child may lose consciousness and move or shake the limbs. The seizure itself is normally harmless and does not cause brain damage. A child who experiences a seizure in the setting of a fever should be taken to the hospital so that any serious causes of the fever can be evaluated.

Description

Febrile seizures (or convulsions) occur mainly in children between three months and five years of age and are associated with a...