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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffMost febrile seizures occur because of a sudden spike in body temperature, and most occur during the first day of a fever. But a febrile seizure may also develop as the fever is declining.
Usually, the fevers that trigger febrile seizures are caused by an infection in your child's body:
- Most common. The most common cause is a typical childhood illness, such as a middle ear infection or roseola — a viral infection that causes swollen lymph nodes, usually in the neck, and a rash.
- Less common. A less common but very serious cause of sudden fever with seizures is an infection of a child's brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), such as meningitis or encephalitis.
Post-immunization seizures
The risk of febrile seizures also increases after some common childhood immunizations.
In the past, febrile seizures occasionally occurred on the day children received the diphtheria, tetanus and whole-cell pertussis (DTP) vaccination. However, this vaccine has been replaced by a newer version, commonly called DTaP. Febrile seizures may rarely occur eight to 14 days after a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination. Low-grade fevers can occur after any childhood vaccine.
If a febrile seizure occurs, it's caused by the fever that may accompany the vaccination — not by the vaccination itself.
