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A Unique Child: Health - A doctor's diary ... Febrile Convulsions

'Doctor, my child is fine at the moment, but someone at their nursery had a febrile convulsion and I'm worried!'

Febrile convulsions, sometimes referred to as febrile seizures, are frightening for parents to witness. For most children, however, a seizure of this type is usually benign, with no long-lasting effects, and it does not suggest a diagnosis of epilepsy.

The definition of a febrile convulsion varies depending what you read, but the principles are essentially the same. It is a seizure or 'fit' that occurs in the presence of a fever, suggesting infection, but in the absence of diseases of the brain such as meningitis, brain abscesses or head injury. Other causes of seizures include epilepsy, low blood sugar, calcium abnormalities and oxygen deprivation.

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