Febrile Seizure

Febrile seizures are the most common type of seizure in children.  They are characterized by seizures that occur in association with a fever, usually in the context of a viral infection.  Although they can appear alarming, febrile seizures are generally benign and do not indicate a serious underlying neurologic condition.

Seizures are the result of hypersynchronous excitatory activity of neurons located within the cortex.  The exact reason for seizures occurring specifically in the setting of febrile illness in children is not fully understood, but it is perhaps related to a combination of a lower seizure threshold during the early years of brain development and a rapidly increasing temperature in the brain leading to increased neuronal firing.  There appears to be a genetic susceptibility as well, although mutations are not always identifiable.