As a carer of a child, seizures can be one of the most frightening things to deal with. Often they are unexpected and the child shows no other signs of obvious illness.
Febrile seizures are common in children between six months and three years old and are often brought on by the start of a fever (a high temperature above 38C).
If a child is having a seizure, their body will become stiff and their arms and legs will twitch. They will lose consciousness and may wet themselves. They may also vomit and foam at the mouth and their eyes could roll back.
You must position the child on their side if they are having a seizure. This will stop them swallowing any vomit and will keep their airways open. Never try to hold them still, restrict them from moving or put anything in their mouth.
Stay with them until the seizure passes and make a note, if possible, of how long the seizure lasts. If the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes or if it is the child's first seizure you should call an ambulance.
Children usually make a full recovery after having a febrile seizure as in most cases; the high temperature is caused by infection such as chicken pox, flu, tonsillitis or an ear infection.
More can be learnt on our Paediatric First Aid Courses, run for groups in-house or individuals on our open courses.
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