When my son was about 16 months old he came down with a pretty nasty virus. I had called the advice nurse who had asked the usual questions, suggested tylenol and told me as long as he was acting normal, he was likely just fighting off the bug. His fever was intermittent, and hovered around 102. Night three i called the doctor again and was told to report back in the morning and we could bring him in if he wasnt doing better. We went to bed, and i let him sleep in our room with me so we could keep an eye on him.
i awoke around 1030 to a crying Jude, and within 30 seconds of us being awake he began to shake, rhythmic movements on one side of his body. his eyes glazed over, in a fixed position and his little right arm and leg and head jerked softly. my poor baby was having a seizure. Id like to say i maintained composure, knowing that it was from his fever spiking, but i bawled like a baby screaming for someone to call 911.
it lasted the longest 45 seconds of my entire life, and after he stopped jerking his eyes rolled back into his head and he didnt move. it wasnt long before i noticed his lips starting to change color. i grabbed him, feelin his body limp in my arms. i rushed downstairs and ran to fridge, where i had posted an article from a magazine with first aid tips for young children. I lay him flat and breathed into his burning little body, one, two, three. It felt like forever until i heard his little moan. it was wonderful; just like the first time i heard him cry when he was born.
i rolled him on his side as the paramedics came. They gave me the run down of the event: the seizure was caused by a rapid spike in the fever; he likely had gone up a few degrees in just a few minutes. Febrile seizures arent a real threat if the fever is treated and its more common than most parents may know, and doesnt even require a trip to the emergency room in most cases, just a call to the pediatrician and a followup. Its actually pretty uncommon for them to stop breathing. He likely wouldnt have another; it's only a 20% chance that a child who has one will have another before age 5.
he was taken to the hospital to be observed and to get the fever down.
its been 14 months since that day and my son is a happy two and a half year old boy who hasnt had a problem since. we make sure we keep track of any virus or fever he gets, and let his doctor know. I try not to let my mind wander to what could have happened if i had put him in his nursery like i usually did, or if i hadnt taken those first aid tips from that article.
It also had me reevaluating my reaction in the case of an emergency. I took a first aid class which left me way more comfortable in an emergency than reading directions off of a piece of paper and i encourage every parent to do the same. American Red Cross offers classes, and if you get a group of people together you can even have a personal class and split the cost!
Read up on your first aid, educate yourself, find a pediatrician that you trust, and trust your motherly (and fatherly) instincts.
having situations like these may not be preventable, but you can be prepared. it's my hope though that you'll never need to use it.
i awoke around 1030 to a crying Jude, and within 30 seconds of us being awake he began to shake, rhythmic movements on one side of his body. his eyes glazed over, in a fixed position and his little right arm and leg and head jerked softly. my poor baby was having a seizure. Id like to say i maintained composure, knowing that it was from his fever spiking, but i bawled like a baby screaming for someone to call 911.
it lasted the longest 45 seconds of my entire life, and after he stopped jerking his eyes rolled back into his head and he didnt move. it wasnt long before i noticed his lips starting to change color. i grabbed him, feelin his body limp in my arms. i rushed downstairs and ran to fridge, where i had posted an article from a magazine with first aid tips for young children. I lay him flat and breathed into his burning little body, one, two, three. It felt like forever until i heard his little moan. it was wonderful; just like the first time i heard him cry when he was born.
i rolled him on his side as the paramedics came. They gave me the run down of the event: the seizure was caused by a rapid spike in the fever; he likely had gone up a few degrees in just a few minutes. Febrile seizures arent a real threat if the fever is treated and its more common than most parents may know, and doesnt even require a trip to the emergency room in most cases, just a call to the pediatrician and a followup. Its actually pretty uncommon for them to stop breathing. He likely wouldnt have another; it's only a 20% chance that a child who has one will have another before age 5.
he was taken to the hospital to be observed and to get the fever down.
its been 14 months since that day and my son is a happy two and a half year old boy who hasnt had a problem since. we make sure we keep track of any virus or fever he gets, and let his doctor know. I try not to let my mind wander to what could have happened if i had put him in his nursery like i usually did, or if i hadnt taken those first aid tips from that article.
It also had me reevaluating my reaction in the case of an emergency. I took a first aid class which left me way more comfortable in an emergency than reading directions off of a piece of paper and i encourage every parent to do the same. American Red Cross offers classes, and if you get a group of people together you can even have a personal class and split the cost!
Read up on your first aid, educate yourself, find a pediatrician that you trust, and trust your motherly (and fatherly) instincts.
having situations like these may not be preventable, but you can be prepared. it's my hope though that you'll never need to use it.
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