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Febrile Convulsions

Yesterday afternoon, my 22 month old started having a fit. My husband and I had no idea what it was. We have now learnt that his temperature spiked and because he is little, his internal thermostat cannot regulate itself as does in an adult. After 38 degrees Celsius, he was having febrile convulsions. However, I wanted to talk about it, as in Australia, it is relatively common. It occurs in one in 30 children under the age of two. The majority of children will only have one however, they may have more until they are 6 when they grow out of them. They are not dangerous and don't cause brain damage.

We called the ambulance and the operator was excellent and talked us through it. When the paramedics came (Seemed like the longest 10 minutes of my life!) they were brilliant also. I rode in the ambulance with him. He was very upset. That blood curdling cry, no parents wants to hear coming out of their child. Once we got to the hospital and he was monitored and seen to by the doctor, he calmed down. Will is a very smiley boy. Everyone comments about how happy he is. Yesterday, there were no smiles. Broke my heart.

Exhausting for us too. However, he was better today although still a little lethargic and clingy. Hopefully tomorrow, he'll be back to his usual independent little self.

Convulsions Febrile

What an ordeal that must have been for you but I'm so glad he is better now. I've never heard of febrile convulsions before even though I do know its difficult for babies to regulate their own body temperature. What did they tell you to do to prevent a recurrence?