Previous fever (febrile) seizures
A child who has had a fever seizure is more likely to have another seizure than a child who has never had one.
One-third of children who have one fever seizure will have a second one. The younger the child is during the first fever seizure, the more likely it is that the child will have a second one, usually within a year from the first seizure. A second seizure is more likely if:
- A first seizure occurred before the child was 18 months old.
- There is a family history of fever seizures.
- A first seizure occurred soon after the fever started (you may not even know your child had a fever).
- The fever with a first seizure did not increase to a very high temperature.
If the seizure was a simple fever seizure, without other medical causes or complication, the child has a slightly increased risk of epilepsy. A child who has had a fever seizure has a 2% chance of developing epilepsy, compared with a child who has not had a fever seizure, who has a 1% chance of developing epilepsy.
Be sure to ask your health professional what you can do if another seizure occurs.
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: April 24, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics | |
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