Avoid folk methods when children have high fever and convulsions

Doctor Duong Thi Huyen Trang – emergency department, Can Tho Children’s Hospital – said that convulsions are neurological symptoms due to many different causes, seizures in children often appear when there is a fever over 38^oC˳ Usually, febrile convulsion in children is a simple febrile convulsion, sometimes it is a complex febrile convulsion and febrile status epilepticus˳

When a child has simple febrile convulsion, the child will have generalized convulsions and the convulsion usually lasts up to 15 minutes, after which there will be no recurrence (within 24 hours or the same episode)˳ ˳

Children aged 12-18 months most often experience this state, febrile seizures may repeat each time the child has a high fever in the next times, the risk of recurrence occurs about 1/3 of children who have experienced this condition˳ have a history of febrile convulsions and may occur until the child is 5 years old˳

What to do when a child has a high fever convulsion?

The first thing parents and carers need to do is stay calm, don’t panic or cry˳ When a child has a high fever convulsion, it is necessary to ask someone to help handle it to ensure the safety of the child˳

First place the child in a safe, spacious and well-ventilated location; avoid dangerous positions near the lake, next to the fire, high places where it is easy to fall… Put a towel, pillow or use your hand to hold the child’s head to avoid convulsions that can hit the head on the ground˳

It is necessary to loosen the child’s clothes, belt, remove the child’s glasses (if any)˳ Ask someone to take fever-reducing medicine (in the form of rectal tablets) if the child has a high fever and use according to the instructions depending on the child’s weight˳

Simultaneously with placing the medicine, it is recommended to cover the towel with warm water (34-35⁰C) on the armpits, groin and forehead for children˳ Regularly change the towel to cool down faster˳

Note, do not use ice to cover the child, because it will cause vasoconstriction, delaying the cooling process, avoid alcohol and vinegar because it can be absorbed through the skin if used in large amounts˳

Note to avoid folk methods

In some cases, when seeing a child with a high fever convulsing at home, the babysitter often uses folk remedies such as squeezing lemon juice and pouring lemongrass into the child’s mouth˳ However, the doctor recommends absolutely not to drop any solution or substance into the child’s mouth because it is easy to cause aspiration into the lungs, which is very dangerous˳

At the same time, do not try to pry the child’s teeth to insert objects for biting; nor do you need to hold your baby too tight to reduce seizures˳

After that, the child should be taken to the hospital for follow-up monitoring because the febrile convulsion can be the starting symptom of many other dangerous diseases such as meningitis, infection, etc˳ The child may have complications if not treated˳ timely treatment˳

To prevent, when the weather is hot or when the child has a fever, parents should go to a specialist doctor for early treatment, so that when the fever is high, it can easily lead to convulsions˳

When children are sick, have symptoms of fever, they should wear cool clothes, avoid being too tight and keep them in a poorly ventilated environment; Regularly monitor the child’s temperature and cool the child˳

Many antipyretic drugs, how to use them safely?

Doctors said that now there are many different types of antipyretic and pain relievers, so people need to choose the right type and use the right dose to ensure safety for health˳