From the Guidelines
No, it is not uncommon for a 6-year-old child to experience a febrile seizure, although they are more typical in younger children between 6 months and 2 years of age. Febrile seizures occur in about 2% to 4% of children, as stated in the 2024 American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid 1. While most febrile seizures happen in younger children, they can occasionally occur up to age 6 or 7. These seizures typically last less than 5 minutes and involve shaking or jerking movements, loss of consciousness, and sometimes eye rolling or stiffening.
Key Points to Consider
- Febrile seizures are triggered by a rapid rise in body temperature, usually above 100.4°F (38°C) 1.
- If a child experiences a febrile seizure, ensure they are in a safe position away from hard objects, placed on their side, with nothing in their mouth.
- Treatment focuses on managing the underlying fever with appropriate doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen rather than preventing the seizure itself 1.
- Most febrile seizures are benign and do not cause brain damage or lead to epilepsy, though they can be frightening to witness 1.
Management and Prevention
- After the seizure, contact the pediatrician promptly to discuss the best course of action.
- The risk of recurrence varies with age, with children younger than 12 months at the time of their first simple febrile seizure having an approximately 50% probability of having recurrent febrile seizures 1.
- Despite the potential for recurrence, there is no evidence that simple febrile seizures cause structural damage to the brain or lead to long-term adverse effects, other than a high rate of recurrence 1.
From the Research
Febrile Seizures in Children
- Febrile seizures are the most common cause of convulsions in children, affecting 2-5% of all children and usually appearing between 3 months and 5 years of age 2.
- The condition is perhaps one of the most prevalent causes of admittance to pediatric emergency wards worldwide 2.
- Up to 5 percent of children in North America and western Europe experience at least one episode of febrile seizure before six years of age 3.
Age and Febrile Seizures
- Febrile seizures usually appear between 3 months and 5 years of age 2.
- A 6-year-old child is still within the age range where febrile seizures can occur, although the risk may be lower than in younger children 4, 2, 3.
- Factors increasing the risk of febrile seizure recurrence include young age at onset 5.
Prevalence and Risk
- Febrile seizures are the most common form of childhood seizures 2.
- The risk of epilepsy following febrile seizures is 1-6% 2.
- The long-term consequences of febrile seizure are rare in children who are otherwise healthy 3.
- The risk of pyogenic meningitis is as low (< 1.3%) as the risk in a febrile child without seizures 4.