ds had seizure last night

[SpikeMomma]

Just wanted to know if anyone else's baby has experienced a fit/seizure before?

My ds is 15months, and think it was a result of over heating due to an infection. Called an ambulance and the hospital were good. He's in good spirits today. Whole thing very scarey though. Has anyone else experienced this?

Dear "Spikemumma" Some young children and babies can get "febrile convulsions" if they develop a high temperature.This shouldnt be confused with epilepsy or the like, so try not to worry too much as I believe they grow out of it.I can understand it must be very scary though.Hope your little one is OK now.

I have - twice with DS. The second time happened minutes before I dished up Christmas Dinner and we spent Christmas Day at the hospital. I know exactly how you are feeling, I didn't think I'd ever sleep again but eventually you relax but we chase DS around now with the thermometer at the slightest hint of a temp. Hope DS is better soon and you get over the shock of it. It's a scary thing to witness, I know.

Thanks wrinklytum and KBear. He did over heat. Thanks for your words KBear - as you've hit the nail on the head to how i currently feel! I'm practically sat on the baby monitor - at the moment! I'm usually pretty relaxed about these things - but it really did seem to come out of no where. He was grumpy at tea time, and was doing a funny cough from the back of his throat - but you sort of think it's just teething. Bloody kids! I've gained another wrinkle or three since last night!

Kbear - forgot to ask - did you take him to the hospital on both occasions?

The doc told me that they usually grow out of it, by about 5years. He may never have another, or he could do, it just depends. He's been wearing summer clothes and wellies today...

Hi Spikemomma long time no see! Glad DS is feeling better. I think this is why the advice is now to use medication really quickly and at full recommended dose to get temperature down as fast as possible. They do heat up so quickly though don't they . DD was hospitalised overnight with a virus a few weeks ago and on a monitor as her oxygen levels were boarderline worrying. I really thought I would be sleeping in her room for a while to keep an eye on her and reassure myself. But she recovered fine and I have managed to relax fairly well about things now.

I can't believe it is a whole year since we were worrying about their whiffy bums (do you remember the farting thread?)

hiya mandymac - long time no banter!

sorry to hear about your dd - glad she's ok now. my life, how much stress have we given ourselves with nippers?!!

Remember the wiffy thread - i could have started it up again last night. I was hoping the paramedic might think it was my son... i did comment he had wind. still thinking on my feet in dire situations. true mother - surely?

feel so much better for coming onto good old mumsnet.

hiya mandymac - long time no banter!

sorry to hear about your dd - glad she's ok now. my life, how much stress have we given ourselves with nippers?!!

Remember the wiffy thread - i could have started it up again last night. I was hoping the paramedic might think it was my son... i did comment he had wind. still thinking on my feet in dire situations. true mother - surely?

feel so much better for coming onto good old mumsnet.

Yes they are a worry aren't they - but as you quite rightly point out - handy to blame stuff on, especially whiffs .

My ds has had 2 of these - his temp seems to go up very quickly (much faster than his 2 sisters do) and twice he has fitted between me giving the clapol and it startig to work.
GP advised giving dose of Calpol and ibuprofen when he starts to get hot, them alternating them after that. I always strip him down and tepid spnge when he is hot.
He's almost 5 so hopefully we wont have any more.

It is scarey though!

DS had a febrile convulsion at 11 months. He has never had one since (now 5.5 years).

He does have random temperature spikes when poorly but we just keep an eye on him and dose him up if necessary.

It is very scary though isn't it.

Spikemomma - in answer to your question - Yes, called an ambulance both times (first time the ambulance took 45 minutes to arrive and considering I am in SE London I was pretty horrified by that.

Ambulance came from Kent in the end, all full of apologies etc, someone else's need was greater! They were wonderful though, as were all the staff. Second time, I freaked out completely (Christmas Day stress I suppose), couldn't speak to the operator or anything.

DS went blue, we laid him on dining room floor not breathing, me screaming, it was THE most awful moment of my life. (welling up just remembering it!)

He had two fits within a month of each other - had a flu virus we think, took ages to recover. Has had temps since and although we flap, he has managed to control his own temp with the help of calpol and ibroprufen. Keep a fan in his bedroom for temp emergencies, don't be tempted to wrap him up, keep his clothes to a minimum when he is ill.

Rambling a bit but hope it helps. CAT me if you need to chat about it, I know exactly how you're feeling.

Also, I did a Lifesaver for Children course afterwards so I knew how to get him breathing if I needed to. That helped me relax a bit. Also hospital told me that the body stops breathing whilst they are fitting but it is pretty unheard of for them to not automatically start breathing again when the fitting stops. Scary stuff but reassuring.

He's 5 now, just started school, all good!

Thanks to everyone - especially KBear - or carebear as you are to me now! thank you so much. (Your experience sounds truely horrendous - sending you a big hug, you must have felt so traumatised!) I felt very emotional and tired today - the stress catching up on me, now i suppose the adrenaline has gone. Thanks to you, i feel so much better. My DS is currently licking his welly boot - in fine spirits - so i can't say he's been affected too much! [cast eyes up].

I really hope non of your babies go through it again. It's very stressful.

Big kisses to all. xxx

My ds2 who is now 5 had one when he was 17 mnths, which was caused we later found out by an inner ear infection. He had a very long one (as I understand it they usually last 5-10 mins and his lasted nearer to 40) they couldn't stop it, and in the end he stopped breathing just as we got to the hospital in the ambulance! I was truly terrified as had been telling myself over and over that he would be ok, but was like something off "casualty" and found myself thinking we had lost him.
They kept him in hospital sedated for 2 days and gave him iv antibiotics.
I can also well remember the feeling that I would never sleep again, as I was so scared that I couldn't take my eyes of him!
Also the panicking every time he had a temp after that, though thankfully he has never had another one. I was told the same as you that they may/may not have another one, but that they don't happen anymore after the age of 5.
He had to have some follow up visits/tests as he was out of it for so long and they were concerned that there may be some lasting effects, though thankfully there were none.
Tests done at the time showed that the bacteria that caused his infection were also in his urine and in the back of his throat.
in a strange kind of way having the fit probably saved his life as the iv antibiotics he received stopped the infection spreading into his bloodstream which could have caused septacaemia.
The thing I will always remeber is that it all happened so fast. he had just had his tea and fallen asleep on my lap. No temp, no symptoms. Definitely the worst thing that has ever happened to me.
Glad your little one is o.k now x

Licking welly boots is a sure sign of recovery! Took me and DH a lot longer to recover!

cazboldy - that is horrendous beyond belief. you poor thing. you must have been at your wits end. both me and my dh have felt horrendous all week. god knows how you must have felt.

i'm with you on the no symptoms thing. my ds was a bit out of sorts - but nothing to when he has been ill before (which he rarely has been - only once before). he actually felt cooler than normal. his temp just shot up so quickly whilst he was in bed and we were down stairs. it's freaked me out a bit.

guilt thoughts have flittered into my mind like: 'what if i hadn't have checked him?' - i caught it right before it began - he could have fitted on his own - that makes me feel very sad and: 'i shouldn't have dressed him in what he was wearing and put a sleeping bag on him...'

This week has been pretty tough; feeling so tired and emotional about our first A&E trauma. I don't feel confident about using a sleeping bag anymore. When i went into his room i just recall seeing him on all fours, facing his mattress, almost panting and crying. I can't get it out of my head . I just think - maybe he wouldn't have got so hot if he could have kicked off his cover. Suppose you just have to put it down to experience and move on. But what a shocker.

The medics said, if it happens again; not to restrain him (which i didn't), and to lay him on his side. When it was happening i did think -thank god i prepared a first aid box a few weeks ago - couldn't use it - but i felt like i'd been responsible, and it eased the stress when i knew where to look for the calpol when the paramedic asked me. Phew. I'm going to keep muslins next to it, so i can wet them and put them on him (like we did this time), and get a water spray to keep next to it, as that might bring his temp down if he is convulsing and i can't put him in a bath (which i've heard you can do. Although it wasn't practical when we were in the throws of it). That's if there is a next time - praying there won't be.

Luckily - like i say - he is acting like nothing happened. His parents, however, have white hair.

i'll be counting down the hours until he's five! i've only got about 3 and a half years of worry to go...

Sorry for long email - using this as therapy. Feel so much better for expressing how i feel. I don't feel like i've been able to do it in the real world. Thanks for being kind enough to share your experiences. It can't be easy remembering those types of ordeals. So, thank you. x

well it is a while a go now and I think that you do get over it in time, but will always feel lucky to have the little chap here still. How is your little one now?

He seem's fine. Got a cold - which i think must have been from the throat infection (like i say, no symptoms beforehand), must have just caught it as it begun. He's currently in bed - and i'm not stressing!