Which seizure is caused by high fever and is common in children aged 6 months to 6 years?

Which seizure is caused by high fever and is common in children aged 6 months to 6 years?

• A. Febrile seizure
• B. Absence seizure
• C. Complex partial seizure
• D. Syncope

Answer: (A)

Seizures triggered by fever in young children are febrile seizures. This type most commonly appears in kids around six months up to about six years old, when a fever can briefly provoke a generalized convulsion. It’s the fever acting as the trigger, not an ongoing epilepsy or brain injury, and with proper care the long-term outlook is usually good. Absence seizures are brief lapses of consciousness that aren’t tied to fever and typically occur in slightly older children. Complex partial seizures start with a focal onset and altered awareness, often lasting longer and may have postictal confusion, not simply fever-related. Syncope is fainting from reduced blood flow to the brain and isn’t a true seizure, and it lacks the convulsive pattern and postictal features seen with seizures.

Seizures triggered by fever in young children are febrile seizures. This type most commonly appears in kids around six months up to about six years old, when a fever can briefly provoke a generalized convulsion. It’s the fever acting as the trigger, not an ongoing epilepsy or brain injury, and with proper care the long-term outlook is usually good. Absence seizures are brief lapses of consciousness that aren’t tied to fever and typically occur in slightly older children. Complex partial seizures start with a focal onset and altered awareness, often lasting longer and may have postictal confusion, not simply fever-related. Syncope is fainting from reduced blood flow to the brain and isn’t a true seizure, and it lacks the convulsive pattern and postictal features seen with seizures.