Febrile seizures happen in some children, usually between about 6 months and 5 years, when their temperature rises quickly. During one, a child may stiffen, twitch or jerk, become unresponsive for a short time, and may lose consciousness. Although deeply frightening to watch, most simple febrile seizures last only a couple of minutes and do not cause lasting harm or brain damage.
If your child has a seizure, keep them safe: place them on their side on a soft surface, move away nearby objects, do not put anything in their mouth, and note the time it starts. Call your local emergency number if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, if they have difficulty breathing or do not recover normally afterward, or if it is their first seizure.
Even after a short febrile seizure that stops on its own, your child should still be seen by a doctor the same day to check the cause of the fever. Fever-reducing medicine does not reliably prevent febrile seizures, so the focus is on treating the underlying illness.