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Parenting

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Original poster

Toddler Seizure

17 replies

ralph90 · 30/10/2021 23:40

Hi,
My 2 1/2 year old had a seizure on Thursday night and has spent some time in hospital. It was his first seizure and he was fitting for what felt like forever. He lost consciousness and started to go blue . Once he had stopped fitting he was rushed to A and E. they believe it was caused by a chest infection but I have not slept since he’s had it. I am watching him like a hawk and I am absolutely beside myself with worry that it’s going to happen again. Has anyone been in a similar situation? I’m monitoring his temperature, got calpol, antibiotics etc. I just feel in such a state and I’m petrified of it happening again to him.

OP posts:

SmallProvincial · 30/10/2021 23:45

You poor thing, no wonder you're not sleeping, you must be so worried.

Was it classed as a febrile seizure due to a fever?

Original poster

ralph90 · 30/10/2021 23:49

Hi,
Yes they believe it was , although when we arrived he didn’t have a temperature and it only spiked about an hour and half after the seizure, which was odd. I just feel like a mess and I know I need to be strong for him but I’m sat just watching him and just praying it doesn’t happen again.
X

OP posts:

thatonesmine · 30/10/2021 23:51

A long time ago now but my son had one at a similar age (he's now 34), it was a febrile convulsion brought on by an infection. Like you I was terrified but my neighbour was a nurse, she stepped in and put him in the recovery position and once he'd stopped fitting she drove us to the hospital where he stayed for a couple of days. He was fine afterwards and never had another one.

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Original poster

ralph90 · 30/10/2021 23:53

Hi, that’s reassuring to know that he didn’t have another one. I managed to let him have the seizure and get him in recovery etc but I was panicking like mad. Got him to hospital and we were there for the night and day. I’m just petrified of it happening again. I’m sat here now just listening for every sound, watching every movement. I need to get myself together and be strong for him but just not sure how .,

OP posts:

SmallProvincial · 31/10/2021 00:00

I get you.

Though DD has never had a seizure her temp occasionally spikes (well over 40') and it happens out of nowhere. I know what it's like sitting by a hospital bed (always in the wee small hours) doing all sorts of bargaining in your head for her to 'just be okay'.

It's exhausting, even without the lack of sleep for the next nights (while I obsessively sleep on the floor next to her bed with one hand on her to make sure I notice if it peaks again).

Can your DC sleep in your bed tonight? Then you can at least get some physical rest and doze while knowing they are okay (you WILL wake up if they're not). Do you have a partner to sleep in shifts with?

Though DD hasn't had a seizure, several children I know have, and a vast majority only ever had one.

Now your DS has antibiotics, you're doing everything you can do. And you do need to sleep.

How's his temp now? And how is he 'in himself', do the antibiotics seem to have made a difference?

Vthirtyone · 31/10/2021 00:01

Oh poor you, my 2 kids now 10 & 13 had these when they were little, between 2 yrs and 3/4 years old. I expect you have been told that they should grow out of them by the time they go to reception year at school. Both mine have done. They always would fit at the peak of an infection/virus and once antibiotics or Calpol had got it under control it wouldn't happen until the next infection.
Really scary, but you do get used to it, and my daughter was prescribed an anti fitting medicine (midazolam)which was really reassuring. We had it at home and school. The nurse who trained us to use it had a daughter with such severe epilepsy (multiple fits a day) that it made febrile convulsions seem preferable in comparison, if that doesn't sound wierd.
Hope you and your little one feel better soon. Very scary.

rach2713 · 31/10/2021 00:07

My daughter had one at 6 months old (she is 8 now) was fine all day went out to get tea and see family. My husbamd heard a funny noise in the back looked round and she was fitting lucky we was seconds from a little hospital i ran in with her in my arms shouting for help they took her gave medicine checked her over got ambulance to bigger hospital stayed in for 3 days turned out to be a uti. Its just the bodies way of cooling itself down its not nice when they have them but it doesnt harm them. When she became unwell after i always gave her a very low dose of calpol to be sure we were always on top of the temp before it got high she never had another seizure after the 1st one. I know its scary but try and relax and get some rest maybe make a little bed next him and sleep so you can still hear him x

Original poster

ralph90 · 31/10/2021 00:11

Thank you so much for your reply.” - I really appreciate it. My partner is back at work tomorrow and leaves at around 4am so therefore I said I would sleep with little one. I think regardless of if he was working or not I would still want to be the one with our son , just so I could be there and keep any eye - do you know what I mean?
When he’s awake he seems fine in himself and his temperature has been stable since we left the hospital. It’s when he’s sleeping I am at my most anxious but I think that’s because when the seizure happened, he was asleep. Every movement he makes I’m panicking - I’m just petrified of seeing him like it again.
X

OP posts:

2tired2bewitty · 31/10/2021 00:12

My dd had one at a similar age for the same reason (upper respiratory infection), conveniently she chose to do it while we were at the playground next to our gp surgery. GP called an ambulance who blue lighted us to A&E which was quite alarming at the time but it’s never happened again and she’s 7 now.

Try and get some sleep, everything will feel better if you can get some rest

Original poster

ralph90 · 31/10/2021 00:17

Thank you all for being so lovely! These kids put us parents through hell, without even knowing they do! :)
I hope that over time j become less nervous and anxious about it. I will try to have some sleep tomorrow as my mum has said she will come to have him while I sleep - everything always feels worse at night and I definitely don’t think I will be sleeping tonight. I really appreciate everyone reaching out. Xx

OP posts:

rach2713 · 31/10/2021 00:21

I know what you mean I get like that when mine are ill abd my husband takes them downstairs to watch tv i hate it. It isnt nice to see but you need to get some rest so you have loads of energy to play in the morning because i bet yoy little man will be full of beans and will want to play like nothing happened like mine did and have everytime they ill.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 31/10/2021 00:30

One of mine had a febrile convulsion at the same age. I remember sleeping on the floor next to them the next night and going back to my bed with the baby monitor back on the next night.
It didn't happen again.

RelentlessForwardProgress · 31/10/2021 00:33

Oh you poor thing, it must have been so frightening for you.

My DS had a febrile convulsion due to a virus age 2, and again the following winter due to chest infection. I can still see his little body and face in my minds eye now.

At the hospital they told us it was very, very common but that doesn't really help when its your child, does it.

I found it hard to relax, at the first sign of a sniffle I was on red alert for several years.

When he seemed under the weather DH and I would take it in turns to sit with him through the night to keep an eye on him, which gave me peace of mind. I also used to set an alarm on my phone when he was next due calpol if he had a bit of a temperature so I wouldnt be late with it. Its no guarantee it would keep his temperature from spiking, but I felt more in control if that makes sense.

We were told he would grow out of it by 5, and he did, but my goodness its a shock when it happens. I hope you manage to get some rest.

BananaPB · 31/10/2021 00:36

Lots of hugs for you.

My 15yo son used to get them when ill and it was such a worry but the good news is that he outgrew them

Courtier · 31/10/2021 00:43

Not quite the same but I had my first 'seizure' aged four and was blue lighted to hospital. It's classed as a fit now (no electrical activity in the brain) though it looks like seizures and I have 1-2 per year.

I'm 26, healthy and happy and they believe they're due to a combo of fear and my heart. While I hate them they don't affect my daily life and have reduced as I got older.

I know it's not the same condition but wanted to show that someone can have a normal, successful, healthy life even with these kinds of seizures from childhood x

Haggisfish3 · 31/10/2021 00:47

Oh god ds had a febrile fit when he was about 18 months. I knew what it was, logically, but I didn’t realise ALL their muscles contract, including chest ones so he also stopped breathing. Utterly utterly terrifying. His was caused by the very rapid change in temp as he had salmonella. He didn’t have another one and he’s now 8. We were blue lighted to a and e as well. I will never forget screeching ‘he’s stopped breathing! Get them here now!!’ At dh as he was on phone to 999.

Hockeyboysmum · 31/10/2021 06:53

My 19 month old has medication for infantile spasms and then had a full tonic clonic seizure in july. They think it was brought on by infection but he has now been diagnosed as having epilepsy and has emergency meds for if it happens again. He has hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy so was at higher risk. For the first few after diagnosis i slept in with him too but im a bit more relaxed now. Hes had no more but it still scares me.

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