Can fever cause seizures?

During a seizure, a child may stiffen, jerk, stare, lose awareness, or become briefly unresponsive. The event can happen as an illness begins, sometimes before the fever has been noticed. Fever-related seizures are different from shivering: jerking movements and reduced responsiveness are warning signs. A seizure does not by itself identify the infection causing the fever. Viral illnesses such as a common cold, influenza-like illness, or chickenpox can be possible triggers; a clinician may need to assess the child and examine other symptoms.

Place the child on a safe surface, remove nearby objects, and turn them gently onto their side when possible. Loosen tight clothing around the neck and note when the movements start. Do not restrain the child, put anything in the mouth, or give food, drink, or medicine until they are fully alert. Stay with the child and observe breathing after the movements stop. Fever medicine may improve comfort but does not reliably prevent another seizure; use it only as directed for the child’s age and weight.

Call emergency services if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, repeats without recovery, affects one side, follows a serious injury, or the child has trouble breathing or remains difficult to wake. Seek urgent assessment for a first seizure, a stiff neck, a purple or non-blanching rash, severe dehydration, or an infant who is very young with a fever. Arrange medical review after any fever-related seizure, even when the child quickly returns to normal.

Ask what may have caused the fever, how to measure temperature, which medicine and dose suit the child, and what plan to follow if another seizure occurs. Share the seizure duration, movements, recovery time, medicines given, and any exposure to illnesses such as COVID-19 or croup.