Febrile seizures...a nightmare for parents!

MEDIA speculation about Romeo Beckham, who is reported to have recently had two febrile convulsions, has been fuelled by father David's comments that news of Romeo's condition was "not that positive".

Although extremely unnerving to parents, febrile convulsions - an epileptic-type seizure that can sometimes accompany high temperatures in children under five - rarely indicate a serious underlying problem or have any impact on long-term health.

Around one in 30 children will have at least one febrile convulsion before they reach their fifth birthday, and 10 per cent of them will, like Romeo, have three or more (he had a previous one last year). But even in children who have more than one, long-term complications are unusual - the lifetime risk of developing epilepsy for a child who has had recurrent febrile convulsions is roughly double that of a child who has never had one, but is still less than one in 100.

The link between fever and seizures isn't that well understood, but is thought to be related to a build-up of inflammatory chemicals produced in response to infection.

Febrile convulsions are normally associated with relatively minor infections - coughs, colds, tonsillitis and earache - but can occasionally be a sign of more sinister types, including meningitis.
Because of this small risk of serious underlying infection, every child who has had a febrile convulsion should be medically assessed, but, whatever the cause, prevention remains the key. This is what you should do:

• Resist the temptation to wrap a feverish, shivering child, and strip them down to their nappy or underwear instead.

• Paracetamol and ibuprofen should lower their temperature, but if, despite the combination of stripping and drugs, it remains above 39, then gently sponge them in a shallow bath of tepid water.
• If the worst does happen and your child has a convulsion, don't panic. Do not attempt to restrain them or put anything in their mouth. Lay them in the recovery position (on the left side) if possible and call for medical advice.

• If the convulsion lasts longer than five minutes (which is very unusual) dial 999. Witnessing a febrile convulsion may take years off your life, but it's most unlikely to have any significant effect on your child.

Ease the pressure

A RECENT edition of the medical newspaper Pulse provides a useful reminder that drugs aren't the only way to reduce high blood pressure - lifestyle changes can be just as effective.
A review into the latest management of the condition, now thought to affect as many as one in five adults, concludes that restricting salt intake to the maximum daily recommended amount (six grams or two-thirds of a teaspoon a day) is roughly as effective as prescribing a drug.

And that cutting back on alcohol and starting an exercise programme can double that benefit (giving a combined reduction of between 10 and 20mmHg - normal being anything less than 140/90).

Interestingly, stopping smoking seems to have little effect on blood pressure (although it has major benefits elsewhere), but losing weight does help - expect a 1mmHg fall in blood pressure for every kilo (2lb approx) lost.