i have a 2 yr.old daug .she has had 5 febrile seizures in the past 2 yrs. all with a high temp

[geana600]

doctors say that its just febrile seizures , now i had checked out. she had a EEG and a brain wave  done.  it came out abnormal. i 'm so afraid that it is epilepsy. i would like someone to talk to more about info on this.

[Nicole1111]

I'm not a doctor, but here is my understanding:

Everyone has a "seizure threshold," above which they will begin seizing.  For most of the population, that threshold is very high (they need an extremely high temperature or quick rise in temperature, low oxygen, etc.), so they can go an entire life without a seizure.

For some, the threshold is slightly lower.  This is the category people with febrile seizures fall into:  they may begin to seize as their body temperature rises quickly.  The exact threshold is different for everyone, of course.  My son has a very low one and will seize with a mild fever of 99.2.  

For others, the threshold is so low that other factors can cause them to seize as well.  In that case, the brain may get into a "pattern" of sending out abnormal electrical discharges even when the person is not clinically having a seizure. Thus, with an abnormal EEG, a future seizure is much more likely to occur under the conditions specific to that person's threshold.    That doesn't necessarily mean the person has epilepsy, but it may be more likely than if the EEG had come back normal.

In addition, EEGs are dynamic:  they change.  Your daughter may have an abnormal EEG now, but as she grows out of her febrile seizures (assuming no non-febrile seizures occur), her EEG may turn normal again.  There is just no way of knowing for sure!

Good luck!

[barfer]

Lots of kid have febrile seizures and most of them grow out of it.  Don't worry about it, now.  Enjoy her and see how she progresses. The last thing you want to do be overly protective of her when she should be having a normal fun-loving childhood.  

[urbreydgrl]

I've been having the same problems as geana600.  My 2 y/o has had 4 "febrile seizures" in the past month.   We have not had an EEG or brainscan as of yet.    Nicole1111 your information was fantastic and honestly put my mind to ease for now.   At least until we see a neurologist and he clears my daughter of other issues.  

My only concern now is why in the world is she having the fevers?!    This is what frustrates me.  

[3fourme]

Hi - I'm not sure if you will get this since your last post was in april, however, I too have, a little girl who is 20 months old and back in feb. of this year our entire family got the flu.  She threw up in my arms (thank goodness) then I sat her up to see if she was done and she was completley blue and not breathing.  I paniked and screamed and my husband came runing down the stairs, and he turned her over and wacked her on the back of few times while i was dialing 911, she began breathing.  Apparantely, she was having a febrile seizure and choked on her vomit.  They admitted her, and she was released one day later with no recurrent seizure.  Then the day I brought her home from the hospital i immediately took her to her pediatrician and while we were there she spiked a fever of 106.7!!!!  Everyone panicked, and her doc.  gave her a shot of roseffin for pnemmonia (she was a preemie by 5wks with a pnuemothorax (hole in left lung) and underdeveloped lungs.  She did not have a seizure, the shot controlled her fever.  Turns out she developed pnemmonia from the flu.

Just last week, she spiked a fever of 104.8, I couldn't get her fever down and she had another seizure, rushed her to the ER and for 4 hrs they could not get her fever to break, she had 2 mild febrile seizures in the ER, then they gave her a shot of roseffin and her fever broke.  They let her come home after about 10 hrs.  Took her to the doc the next day, and they said that she has symptoms of the roseola virus that is going around, and it usually only strikes babies between 12 and 24 months.

Now i am very scared for her.  I hope too that she outgrowns these, however, my mom got epilepsy at age 30 when she had a heat stroke at a work picnic.  She too as a child had febrile seizures when she would spike a fever.  We havn't done any further tests as this just happened.  Is she too young to be exposed to radiation thru an mri?  I would appreciate anyone's feedback what steps to take next.

Thank you and good luck with your baby girl.  I hope there are no more recurrences!