Febrile seizures

I just wanted to know if anyone has personal experince with Febrile Seizures.  My daughter had one a month ago due to a UTI but she had another on Wednesday without a fever so doctors could not really give me an answer.  When you call 911 they take you to the closest hospital and the hospital she went to this time did not have a pedatric doctor there so I left and went to her doctors office.  She was stable once we got to the ER.  The EMT's gave her oxygen which turned her lips back to pink.  I am so confused.  She is perfectly fine one second and turning blue the next.  I took her to CHOP and they cant really do anything because she is fine now.  So I just wanted to know if anyone else has had a child with this seizure issue.  She is 6 months old and advanced in her milestones.  Doctors are not worried at all about this but I am a mess.

Thanks.

[1nana]

Has she been tested for epilepsy? The febrile seizure could have been a coincidence.

[newbie2b]

:( I dont understand why they cant do any type of testing on her to find out what the problem is.  So do they just want you to wait until it happens again?

[cantwait4baby]

They made a comment about the last episode that if she had that seizure without a fever we were in a whole new ballgame but they think she may have just chocked on her vomit.  They just want to watch her.  Does epilepsy include Febrile seizures?

Newbie - yes, pretty much just wait and see.  So guess who is back to sleeping in a pack n play in our room.

[newbie2b]

Thats infuriating! I'm sure you've done research but, read this if you havent already.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/febrile-seizure/DS00346/DSECTION=2
If you go through the pages, it says that they can test her urine and blood for infection (if they havent already)

The most common cause is a typical childhood illness, such as a middle ear infection or roseola — a viral infection that causes swollen glands and a rash. A less common but very serious cause of sudden fever and febrile seizures is an infection of a child's brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), such as meningitis or encephalitis.

****(READ THIS)***The risk of febrile seizures also increases after common childhood immunizations. Febrile seizure is a rare side effect of immunization, but it may occur the day of the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccination or eight to 14 days after a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination. Febrile seizures are caused by the fever that may accompany the vaccination — not by the vaccination itself

[1nana]

No, epilepsy does not include febrile seizures, but a very,very small percentage of infants/children who have sufffered with febrile seizures go on to have epilepsy especially if someone in the family has a history of epilepsy.

[cantwait4baby]

wannabenana - thank you I will keep that note in my head.  We do not have them in either of our families but the way my luck is she may be the first.

Newbie - thanks for the link.  The first time she had the seizure she did have the infection this time they didn't even check her blood or urine because she snapped out of it so quick they went on to think that it was her chockin on vomit rather then a seizure at all but they both looked the same to me.  The only difference was that her lips were blue this time and no fever.  Both were sudden and out of nowhere - well this time she was getting sick but between the first vomit and the blue lips was only about 30 minutes.  Last time it was instant. Fine then sick.

[mayflowers]

I actually do have some experience with this.  

It usually happens after the child has been sick with a cold or infection.   My nephew had these when he was an infant.   I was watching him once when he had one of these and it was scarey!!!  He actually had a couple of these until he was about 4, then he grew out of it.  I think it can last up to the age of 7.  It's more common in boys but girls can get them as well.  Another newphew just had one after he had been sick with a cold.  Maybe it runs in my family???!!!

What is happening is the child's temperature has gone up too fast.  It goes from 98.6 to 104 really quickly so the body goes into shock.  Their body shuts down to the point where they are on secondary reflexes (breathing, heart rate) kick in enough to keep the child alive.  It's a way for the body to protect itself.  I was told that it is more scarey for the parents than the child since the child has no clue what is happening but the parent has to watch the kid go through this.

She is going to be fine.  Just make sure she is safe and won't hit anything when she has one and then take her to the dr afterwards or at least call them to let them know these are happening just to be on the safe side.

One more thing, my nephew has a genius IQ (learns math and languages really fast) and he was also was "advanced" with his motor skill.    He is now 21 and a senior in college majoring in language arts and law!!!  

[cantwait4baby]

Thank you so much for sharing.  What you explained is exactly what happened on October 8th and it turned out to be a UTI - sudden high fever.  This time there was no fever and her lips turned blue but everything else was the same as October 8th.  By the time we arrived at the hospital she was fine.  They are thinking maybe not another seizure at all and that she was chocking on her vomit but they really cannot say for sure.  When your nephew had them did he ever have one without a fever?  it is very scary I always call 911.  I learned CPR and still panic.  I would be no help to her.

[mayflowers]

By the time he was at the hospital, the fever had subsided - gone!  My understanding is that it's a "quick" fever.  It just shoots up really fast and that's what causes the seizure.  But it also goes away really fast too, it's not like a regular fever that lasts for a while.  His eyes rolled back, he got stiff as  board then his who body shook, and when I picked him up he went limp.   His color went to white but I dont' remember anything about his lips....I was in a panic though so was mostly worried about him breathing!!  You probably know this part already, but a child can have a high temp (104, 105) and it's not all that unusual.   At least more normal than an adult having a high temp like that.  That's what someone told me one anyway.  A fever is natures way of burning bad stuff out of the body.  That's the purpose.

Seriously, I thought he died and I was petrified that he could have died while I babysat him.  I know I couldn't live with myself if that had happened.  I refused to watch him after that, that's how much it affected me.  You feel powerless to help the poor child and not being a parent myself, I felt I was incompetent.

Did you see vomit in her throat?  If she was chocking on something, I would think that it wasn't be a true seizure - stiffness, shaking, eyes rolled back.

That's great that you know CPR.  As a parent though, you are naturally going to panic b/c it's your child.  I know nurses that are calm, cool and collected with children until it's THEIR child that sick.  That's just normal maternal instinct though.  You can't stop that from happening.

Just keep her away from sharp objects, maybe hold her and keep her upright until it all passes.  Calling 911 is very prudent as well.  

[cantwait4baby]

Thanks, everything you described is what happened October 8th not Wednesday.  As sick as this sounds I am hoping she was just choking.  she became limp and pale with blue lips but that could have been from chocking too.  I have her on strick formula diet no more of her foods for a week.  Mom's Rx :)

Thanks again.

[mayflowers]

I understand why you rather it the chocking instead of the febrail seizure.  At least you know that chocking can be avoided so it's a more controllable condition!