At a glance
- About 3 or 4 in every 100 young children have a febrile seizure.
- They occur from 6 months to 5 years, most often at 12 to 18 months.
- Call 911 if a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes or your child struggles to breathe.
- During a seizure, lay your child on one side and put nothing in the mouth.
- A first febrile seizure needs a doctor’s exam right away to find the cause of the fever.
- Fever medicine eases discomfort but does not prevent febrile seizures.
- Most children outgrow them by age 5; very few go on to have epilepsy.
What a febrile seizure is
A febrile seizure is a convulsion brought on by fever in an otherwise healthy young child. It usually comes in the first few hours of a fever, most often at 38.9 °C (102 °F) or higher, though lower fevers can trigger one too.
The child may stiffen or jerk, roll the eyes and not respond. Most seizures last less than 1 to 2 minutes, and the child is often sleepy or confused for a while afterward.
What to do during a seizure
- Stay calm, stay with your child and note the time it starts.
- Lay your child on the floor or a bed, away from hard or sharp objects.
- Turn your child onto one side so saliva or vomit can drain out.
- Put something soft under the head and loosen anything tight around the neck.
- Do not hold your child down or try to stop the movements.
- Never put anything in the mouth, including fingers or medicine.
- Offer no food, drink or medicine by mouth until your child is fully awake.
During a febrile seizure
- Time itNote when it starts; most stop in less than 1 to 2 minutes.
- Make it safeOn the side, on the floor or a bed, nothing in the mouth.
- Longer than 5 minutesCall 911 or your local emergency number; also for trouble breathing.
- AfterwardA first seizure needs a doctor right away, even if it stopped quickly.
When to call 911
Call 911 or your local emergency number if any of these happen.
- The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.
- Your child has trouble breathing or turns blue or gray.
- Another seizure starts soon after the first.
- Your child does not wake up after the seizure.
- Your child was hurt during the seizure, or it happened in water.
After the seizure: seeing the doctor
A first febrile seizure should be checked by a doctor right away, even if it stopped quickly. Finding what is causing the fever matters more than the seizure itself.
Most children need no brain scan or EEG. A spinal tap may be done to look for meningitis, especially in babies under 1 year.
Get the same quick check for a seizure on one side of the body, a stiff neck, or a second seizure in the same illness.
Typical or needs a closer look?
- Shakes the whole body
- Short: most stop within a few minutes
- Only one in the illness
- Lasts longer than 15 minutes
- Affects only one part of the body
- More than one within 24 hours
Will it happen again? Is it epilepsy?
The chance of another febrile seizure is about 50% if the first came before age 1, and about 30% if it came later. Most children stop having them by school age.
Febrile seizures do not cause brain damage, learning problems or paralysis. Only a very small number of children later develop epilepsy, and having several febrile seizures does not raise that risk.
Fever medicine and prevention
- Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can make your child more comfortable but will not stop a seizure from happening.
- Daily seizure medicine is generally not recommended after simple febrile seizures.
- If seizures keep coming back, the doctor may sometimes prescribe a medicine such as diazepam and explain when to give it.
- Keep vaccines up to date, since they prevent many illnesses that cause fever.
Common questions
Are febrile seizures dangerous?
Almost never. They are scary to see, but simple ones leave no lasting harm to the brain.
Does a febrile seizure mean my child has epilepsy?
No. The great majority of these children never develop epilepsy.
Can Tylenol or Motrin prevent a febrile seizure?
No. They bring the temperature down and ease aches, but they do not lower the chance of a seizure.
How long does a febrile seizure last?
Usually just a minute or two. Past 5 minutes, it is an emergency.
Will my child have another febrile seizure?
Possibly: about half of babies whose first one came before their first birthday have another, and roughly 1 in 3 older children do.
Should I go to the ER after a febrile seizure?
After a first one, yes, or phone the doctor at once; for later short seizures in a child who is back to normal, a call to the doctor is often enough.
Sources
Written for Pedemy in our own words from the sources above; checked October 2026. For education only, not medical advice. Pedemy is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the organizations cited.