I remember vividly when I was small and a child started convulsing in the class, it was quite a frightening experience. Of course everyone started running. The belief then was " run and don't touch the person" lest it comes to you. I have also grown up to hear lots of weird things that could be done for convulsing child ranging from pouring oil into the mouth and eyes, as well as onions and other local concussions.
As a matter of fact, I have a friend that sustained bilateral corneal opacity from local concussion (gbogbonise) poured into her eyes while convulsing as a child. She has had two surgeries for this, yet still left with visual impairment.
This experiences has got worse even with practice. This is where you get to see unimaginable things like giving the convulsing child the mother's urine and placing the child's leg on fire, only to know the way to hospital when the child develops complications from such ill practices.
I know this will sound unbelievable to the learned and medics practicing in developed countries. Only those practicing in the tropics might be able to relate.
Convulsion is a common occurrence in small children and is usually seen in association with very high body temperature( hot body). Such Convulsion is known as Febrile Convulsion.
Febrile Convulsion accounts for most of the convulsions in small children.
Febrile Convulsion
Febrile convulsions are seizures (fits or convulsions) occurring in children aged 6 months to 5 years, associated with fever, without other underlying cause such as CNS infection or electrolyte imbalance. source
Febrile convulsions occurs in children 6 months to 5 years, strictly caused by problem outside the central nervous system (brain). As the name implies, there is always associated fever, usually high grade. There is also family associations. A child whose mother, father or siblings had the disorder is at high risk of having it.
The cause
Children within the said age bracket are usually exposed to frequent infections which usually manifest with high fever (hyperpyrexia) due to immaturity of child's physiological response to infections.
Their brains are also immature and not fully functional and as such have defective thermoregulatory function.
Febrile convulsion occurs as a result of high fever, not fully matured or functional brain and low seizure threshold seen in children within 6months to 5yrs.
Febrile seizures occur in young children at a time in their development when the seizure threshold is low. This is a time when young children are susceptible to frequent childhood infections such as upper respiratory infection, otitis media, viral syndrome, and they respond with comparably higher temperatures source
Simple Febrile convulsions occurs once a day, generalized and does not last for more than 15 minutes. It has excellent prognosis with no associated neurological or cognitive impairment.
More frequent and complex patterns of seizures will require proper evaluation to rule out central nervous system infection and other neurological abnormalities.
Convulsions whose age at first occurrence is outside the the age bracket for Febrile Convulsion also need to be evaluated for other causes.
Fallacies about Febrile convulsions
It is a spiritual attack
It is not a spiritual attack as many has believed, as such, religious house should not be your first point of call. Take the child to the hospital.
You can start convulsing if u touch the person
Febrile convulsions just like everyone other seizures disorder is not contagious or infectious. You can never get it by touching the person.
This single belief has made people not assist convulsing individuals, even when falling into danger.
Don't stay in the same room with the Convulsing person, else if s(he) farts, you are finished
I just had to laugh. I guess this was more of the reason we were all running and struggling for space to exit the class room. Who really brought up this fallacy?
Well, a convulsing child especially when generalized can fart, have fecal or urinary incontinence, loss consciousness, in addition to the stiffness and jerking. It does not poss any risk to nearby person(s) in any way.
Feel free to add what you have heard about febrile convulsions or seizure disorders generally.
What to do when a child is having febrile convulsion
- Remove any danger around so that the child doesn't sustain injury
Restrain the child, just enough not to allow him or her fall into danger
If the child is pouring out too much saliva or mucous from the mouth, turn the child and the neck to lie on the side, to avoid it blocking the airway.
Don't pour anything into the mouth, especially when the child is still convulsing or unconscious lest the child aspirates.
Don't pour anything into the eyes. The eyes have no business with it. Rolling of the eyes is only because of the seizure.
Remove the child's clothes and exposure the body. This can help bring down temperature.
Get a tepid warm water and a napkin or small towel. Soak the towel in the water and use it to clean the child's body, leaving some of the water on the child's body.
When the child is fully conscious, u can give oral antipyretics if you have any. Injection can be given anytime, if you have the skills.
Carry the child and run to any nearest hospital to you.
References
Medscape : Febrile seizure, background epidemiology and pathophysiology
Medscape : Paediatric Febrile Siezures
Patient.Infor: What causes febrile convulsion
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://myairclinic.com/blog/2018/07/23/what-to-do-when-a-child-is-convulsing-common-false-beliefs/