Are febrile seizures harmful?

Although they can be frightening to parents, the vast majority of febrile seizures are harmless. During a seizure, there is a small chance that the child may be injured by falling, or may choke from food or saliva in the mouth. Proper use of first aid for seizures can help avoid these hazards.

There is no evidence that febrile seizures cause brain damage. Large studies have found that children with febrile seizures have normal school achievement and perform as well on intellectual tests as their siblings who do not have seizures. Even in the rare instances of very prolonged seizures (more than one hour), most children recover completely.

95 to 98 percent of children who have experienced febrile seizures do not go on to develop epilepsy. However, although the absolute risk remains very small, certain children who have febrile seizures face an increased risk of developing epilepsy. This category includes children who have lengthy febrile seizures that affect only part of the body, or that recur within 24 hours, and children with cerebral palsy, delayed development, or other neurological abnormalities. Among children who do not have any of these risk factors, only one in 100 develops epilepsy after a febrile seizure.

This answer is based upon information from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.