I will start off by prefacing that we are in canada for context.
A few days ago my entire family came down with covid. DH and I got the symptoms first so we were keeping a close eye on our 18 month old DD checking her temperature and watching for symptoms. So far she only had a runny nose.
Well a couple of days after husband and I felt the first symptoms we had just given DD lunch which is usually followed by her daily nap. We took her temperature which was 37.7 and then we put her to bed in our bed with me. She was not wearing a shirt because she was pulling at it so we took it off so she would be comfortable. We kept her in pants because she takes her diaper off if she’s not wearing pants.
She was particularly fussy so we decided we would let her nap as long as she needed since she obviously was not feeling well.
Well I was running a high fever of 39 at the time so I took a tylenol. After that an hour and a half into the nap I was so cold that I losing the feeling in my feet. It was -20 outside that night. It was very cold even with the furnace going! DD had no covers so I covered her up because who wouldn’t assume that if an adult is cold enough to lose the feeling in their toes that surely a one year old must be cold as well? Shortly after she had a seizure and it was the scariest moment of my life.
We called 911. She went to the hospital. Family was informed. She is okay now and she is at home still recovering from covid.
The paramedics said they suspected that it was a febrile seizure which is caused by a sudden fever spike as when they checked her temperate it has gone up to 38.5.
When I was speaking to DM I told her how everything happened while we were in the waiting room and mentioned the blankets situation. DM was very supportive and told me it was not my fault and these things just happen.
After the phone call DD was seen by paediatrics and the doctor was very kind and reassured us that these seizures were not our fault and they are nearly impossible to prevent. They said they almost never cause long term damage and that it’s rare for them to happen again.
My sister is an ER nurse in the united states and she called me today and without asking for any context she went off on me telling me that I should not have bundled DD up when she was sick. Going on and on about all the stupid parents who overheat their sick children by wrapping them in thick blankets and get them hospitalized and then people like her have to take care of them. I tried to explain myself but she said I couldn’t have known how warm it was because I was running a fever and most not have properly felt the room temperature. She then stopped and continued “I’m not saying it’s your fault but, don’t wrap her up like that again. Open the window, turn the heater down, let her sleep in her diaper. Then things like this won’t happen.”
I was so stunned I just went along with it because I was still reeling from what happened earlier.
I don’t know what to think anymore. The doctor said these seizures can’t be prevented but then my sister who is a nurse says that I must have caused them. Which is true?
I feel sick with guilt that I might have caused it… I just didn’t want her to be cold… She’s such a skinny little thing I always worry about her getting cold… but maybe my sister is right? Maybe I couldn’t tell properly because of my fever?
Did I cause my little girl to be hospitalized? 😔