Dr. Palani Rajan P - Pediatrician & Neonatologist
Febrile seizures are seizures or convulsions that occur in young children and are triggered by fever. Young children between the ages of about 6 months and 5 years old are the most likely to experience febrile seizures; this risk peaks during the second year of life.
About 5 in 100 children may have a febrile seizure sometime before their 6th birthday. The majority of febrile seizures occur in children between 12 and 18 months of age.
Only one seizure occurs in most cases. However, a second seizure may occur during a future feverish illness in 30-35% cases. A future febrile seizure is more likely if there is a family history of febrile seizure in close relatives (father, mother, sister, brother). Once the child is past 3 years old, the chance of having more than one seizure becomes much less likely.Febrile seizures can be scary to see. But they're fairly common and not usually a symptom of serious illness.