Children & Infants
Febrile Seizures
Brief convulsions triggered by fever in young children — terrifying to watch, but simple febrile seizures almost never cause lasting harm.
Also known as: Fever convulsions, Fever fits
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: A rapidly rising fever in a susceptible young child, usually with an ordinary childhood infection; Family history of febrile seizures; Age six months to six years, when the developing brain is most sensitive.
First thing to try: Stay calm and stay with the child. Ease them to the floor or hold a small child on your lap on their side, head turned down and chin forward so the airway stays clear.
See a doctor if: Call emergency services if a seizure lasts more than about five minutes, repeats, or the child has trouble breathing or does not begin waking afterward
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- A rapidly rising fever in a susceptible young child, usually with an ordinary childhood infection
- Family history of febrile seizures
- Age six months to six years, when the developing brain is most sensitive
Change what you can
- Stay calm and stay with the child. Ease them to the floor or hold a small child on your lap on their side, head turned down and chin forward so the airway stays clear.
- Move furniture and hard objects out of reach; loosen tight clothing.
- Do not force anything between the teeth and give no food or drink during the seizure.
- After it ends, lay the child on their side to rest quietly in a calm, dim room until fully awake.
- Once recovered, offer small frequent sips of fluid — good hydrationGiving your body enough water to work well. More → helps the body shed heat during fever.
- Time the seizure if you can; report it to your child's doctor the same day.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- Call emergency services if a seizure lasts more than about five minutes, repeats, or the child has trouble breathing or does not begin waking afterward
- Any first seizure should be evaluated promptly to confirm the cause of the fever
- Seizure with stiff neck, persistent vomiting, unusual drowsiness, or a rash that doesn't blanch — seek emergency care
- Seizures in a child under six months, or without fever
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your febrile seizures — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
Simple febrile seizures last under a few minutes, happen once per illness, and leave no damage. The job of the parent is to stay calm, protect the airway, and let it pass — then have the child checked to confirm the cause of the fever.
Febrile seizures are the most common childhood convulsion, striking roughly two to four percent of children, usually between six months and six years with a peak around eighteen months to three years. They tend to run in families and often occur while the temperature is rising rather than after a long fever.
A typical episode: the child stiffens, then the arms, legs, and sometimes face twitch; the eyes may roll, breathing pauses briefly, and the child may lose bladder or bowel control. The active part nearly always passes in seconds to a couple of minutes, and the child then sleeps and wakes with no memory of it. Only a small share of children ever have a second one, and simple febrile seizures do not cause epilepsy or brain damage.
Daily preventive medication was once common, but adverse effects far outweigh benefit for simple febrile seizures, and medication does not reduce later epilepsy risk.
Common signs
- Sudden stiffening followed by rhythmic jerking of arms and legs during a fever
- Eyes rolling back; brief pause in breathing; possible drooling or foaming
- Loss of bladder or bowel control; sometimes vomiting
- Deep sleep afterward, waking with no memory of the event
⭐ Community-ranked natural supports
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🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Frequent small sips of water and clear fluids during any fever
Hydration supports temperature control during fevers.
⚖️ Good to know
- Never give aspirin to a feverish child — it is linked with Reye's syndrome.
- Do not restrain the jerking limbs or put fingers or objects in the mouth.
- Do not put a convulsing child in a bath.
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Doctors focus on making sure the seizure is truly a simple febrile seizure and treating the underlying fever cause; anti-seizure medication is rarely needed.
Commonly offered
- Prompt medical evaluation after a first febrile seizure to rule out other causes–
- Fever-reducing medication (acetaminophen or ibuprofen) for comfort, though it doesn't prevent further seizures–
- Rescue medication only for children with prolonged or repeated seizures–
Worth knowing
- Call emergency services if a seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or the child doesn't wake up afterward.
- Never put anything in the child's mouth during a seizure; lay them on their side and clear the area.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📜 A note from history
Parents have long been taught that the essential care is protecting the child during the brief convulsion and treating the fever gently afterward.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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