Yesterday after work my 2.5 year old daughter wanted to snuggle which was uncharacteristic for my normally robust toddler. I noticed a fever and treated it with Tylenol. After a bath and a pre-bed time 2nd dose with her fever now at 102.7, we put her to bed. When two hours later she came into our room we brought her into our bed. At 2:00 a.m. she awoke with what I now understand were convulsions. As I screamed her name, she was unresponsive. My husband, now awake, brought her into the bathroom where she continued to stare trough us with labored breathing as he placed her on the floor on her side. As I yelled to ask if she was breathing, I noticed her lips were blue. While I was on the phone with 911, my husband continued to call out to her. Holding her in an upright position and running downstairs to wait for the ambulance, we could tell she was breathing but the next 5-10 minutes as we waited for paramedics were the longest of my life, not having any idea what was happening.
Before they arrived she regained consciousness and began to say "Daddy." Nearly 1.5 hours later at the hospital she was diagnosed with having a febrile seizure. No prior history, family history or any warning whatsoever. Turns out the episode was brought on by a spike in fever (due to a positive case of the flu) and though completely alarming was actually a harmless event without any lasting effects. Shockingly, approximately 3-5% of children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years will experience a similar episode with a slightly increased risk of it reoccurring in the future. The only recourse is aggressive treatment of fevers in the future which I can only assume will give me mini-heart attacks every time she has even a slightly elevated temperature.
While she and my husband have gone back to normal and all is apparently well once again, I can't get the episode out of my head which is why I will be on the DL for a few days as I spend every spare second making sure my daughter is OK. I don't wish a similar episode on any parent, but take comfort in knowing febrile seizures are more scary than dangerous.
Has this happened to anyone you know? Share you experience...

























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