Seizures in Children-What to Do

A seizure is often described as haphazard electrical discharges of the brain that causes parts of the body to move erratically. There are a number of things that can trigger a seizure. Seizures in children are often the result of illness, head injury, low blood sugar, poisoning and high fever. Children up to age 5 are especially prone to fever-related seizures. To help your role is to make sure the child doesn’t get hurt. Seizure activity can appear many different ways. Seizures will almost always spontaneously stop, and the child will have a period of drowsiness, confusion or sleep before gradual awakening. It is common to loose control of urine and stool during the seizure.

 

How to recognize a seizure:

Unresponsiveness

Loss of muscle control with jerking motion of one or many parts of the body

Loss of control of body functions

Can last seconds to minutes

 

 

 

Do not force any object between child’s teeth.

Do not hold child down.

Do not throw water on child in an attempt to stop seizure.

Do not try to clean child during an active seizure

Do not leave the child alone.

 

 

 

Send someone to call for medical help.

Prevent the child from getting injured by removing all objects that he/she could strike. Place cushioning material all around, if possible.

Remember you’ll be tempted to hold the child still -please DO NOT. Stay with the child, monitoring for trouble breathing.

If your child bites his/her tongue and is there is a lot of bleeding, wait for seizure to stop before giving first aid.

If you do not suspect head, neck or spine injury, after the seizure stops place in RECOVERY POSITION.

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 DO NOT place a child in this position if you suspect neck or spine injury. Bend legs to stabilize.  

 

If fever is the cause, treat by cooling until alert enough to take medication to lower temperature.

Seek medical attention.

 

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