<s>[INST] What about febrile seizures? Don’t I have to treat fevers to prevent them? [/INST] Febrile seizures are scary to watch and terrifying for parents. (Ask my Dad - It’s been over 40 years since my last one and he still talks about it.) But despite popular opinion, aggressive fever control does NOT prevent febrile seizures from occurring.

The cause of febrile seizure is thought to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and are the result of a developing brain’s reaction to fever. Fever reducing medication do not prevent febrile seizures from occurring. Rather, the risk of febrile seizures are associated with a child’s age at the first event and a history of family members who also had these events.

Simple febrile seizures most commonly happen in young children between 12-18 months of age. These events last for a few minutes, resolve on their own and rarely cause long-term health problems. Children grow out of these events as their brain matures, typically by elementary school. Source: KC KIDS DOC. Link: https://kckidsdoc.substack.com/p/fever-a-quick-guide-for-parents. Field: Infectious Disease. Disease: Fever </s>