Febrile seizures in children

Abstract

Febrile seizures (FS) occur in about 2 to 5% of children between 6 months to 5 years of age, most of which occur between 12 and 18 months. They can be simple or complex: Simple FS last less than 10 minutes, have no focal characteristics and do not recur within 24 hours. Complex FS last more than 10 min continuously or with pauses, have focal characteristics, or recur within 24 hours. Most (> 90%) of FS are simple occurring during bacterial or viral infections. They sometimes appear after certain vaccinations such as pertussis vaccine and MMR. FS often occurs with a sharp rise in core temperature, and most develop within 24 hours of the onset of fever. As a rule, the seizures are generalized; most are clonic, but some manifest as atony or hypertonia. Genetic and familial factors increase susceptibility to FS. Recommendations have evolved in recent years, however, some conduct remains non-consensual.