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Febrile Seizures
- Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
- Symptoms & Signs
- Diagnosis & Tests
- Prevention & Expectations
- Treatment & Monitoring
- Attribution
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Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Febrile seizures are convulsions that can occur in children with fever.
What is going on in the body?
Febrile seizures occur in 3% to 4% of children who are younger than 5 years old. Fever lowers the seizure threshold in the brain. The whole brain can then "short-circuit," resulting in a generalized motor seizure.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
Fever causes a febrile seizure. This type of seizure is more common in children with a family history of febrile seizures. It also occurs more often in children with epilepsy, a diagnosed seizure disorder.