Thursday, January 18, 2018

Febrile Seizure - A Term Every New Parent Should Be Aware Of

Nobody told me this, so I want to spread it's awareness as much as I can. It came to me as a huge jolt. We as parents almost died at such a horrific sight. I wish I was aware of it before.
My baby was just one year and two months old when this incident happened. Everything was absolutely normal until the previous night. When we woke up in the morning, I found out he was having a slight fever.
As a caution, we always kept the medicine for fever at home. Our pediatrician had also adviced us that if required we can give him a dose and if the fever still persists we can then bring him for a check-up.
This had happened earlier also, with just one dose of medicine he was fine soon. So this time we didn't panic and gave him the required dose of medicine. When he woke up he was normal and had no temperature. He was playing and was also eating at intervals.
It was a Sunday and looking at him being normal again, we decided not to take him to the doctor that day. We planned to stay at home so that he can take some rest. After having lunch he slept again and we too took a nap.
Suddenly, I was awakened by something shaking beside me. I woke up to my horror to see my baby shivering tremendously. His whole body was convulsing and when I tried to pick him up, he started rolling his eyes. He was clenching his teeth hard and his limbs were falling loosely.
It was a sight I wish no parent would ever have to see. We were panicked so badly that we couldn't think of anything we could do. We rushed downstairs, with him still shivering in my lap. We thought of taking him to the hospital as soon as we can. My husband too was panicked and was not in a state to drive, so he acted quickly and called up 911 for help.
The lady over the call guided us what to do until help arrives. She asked us to stay at home and enquired in detail about his symptoms. She made us lay him on his side. Within a few minutes, while we were still talking to her, my baby started crying. We noticed he stopped shivering and was also moving his hands.
Just then 911 arrived with all their equipment. They monitored him, gave him a dose of medicine and asked us not to worry as he was absolutely fine. They said he had a seizure due to high fever and asked us to come with them to the hospital.
For the first time in my life, I entered an ambulance. My baby sat on my lap quietly, looking out the window. Within minutes we reached the hospital and was guided towards the pediatric department. After a thorough check-up, the doctor returned to say everything was fine. He also explained Febrile Seizure to us and said it was very common for babies. This would not have any adverse effect on his health and it can happen to any kid.
Febrile means feverish and can happen if fever is above 100.4 F. This is most common in toddlers and the convulsions can last for a few minutes during which the child may shiver, roll his eyes, become unconscious and sometimes even vomit or pee.
The seizure stops on its own but the child might continue to have the fever. Parents shouldn’t panic and should stay calm, which is not as easy as it sounds. They should ensure the baby doesn't get hurt and lay him on his sides to prevent choking.
Oncw the seizure stops you can take your baby to the doctor. It’s necessary to monitor the temperature closely. If the seizure doesn't stop within five minutes or if the child stops breathing you should immediately take him to the doctor.
We listened to the doctor with rapt attention and understood every detail he explained. My tiny one was busy playing with blocks sitting on the hospital bed. We were amused to see him smile again.
I grabbed him with all my love and as we were returning home, we couldn't believe what we had just gone through. It was so difficult to come out of it and probably we will never forget that horrific sight of seizure.
Now that you know what Febrile Seizure is, spread the word to all new parents you know. Not that we can prevent it, but its knowledge would surely help parents to act wisely and not panic.

No comments:

Post a Comment