Seeing your child having a fit can be a frightening experience but in most cases it only lasts a few minutes and your child will not be aware of it. There is medication which you can give to your child in order to stop fits and this is usually effective. Sometimes, more than one medication may be necessary and occasionally, it may not be possible to stop all fits completely.
What is a fit?
Fits occur when electrical activity builds up in the brain in an unusual or irregular pattern. There are different types of fits. The most common symptoms you may see if your child is having a fit are:
- A vacant blank look, unresponsive to speech
- Loss of consciousness
- Uncontrollable movements, such as lip smacking, eye twitching, and limb jerking
- Incontinence
Your child may be quite sleepy for a period of time after a fit, particularly if it was a long fit.
What to do if your child has a fit
A fit can be very frightening to watch, but your child will not be in pain and will not remember what has happened. If your child has a fit the most important thing is to make sure they are in a safe place. Most fits do not last for more than a few minutes
- Move anything that may injure your child
- Do not restrain your child
- Do not put anything in your child’s mouth
- Turn your child’s head to the side if possible
- If it is the first time they have had a fit, contact your nurse or doctor for advice and reassurance – if the fit lasts longer than 10 minutes they may advise you to give medication
- If your child has had fits before, you may have medication to give to stop the fit – follow the instructions with the medication and contact your nursing or medical team if the fit lasts longer than usual
What can your nurse or doctor do to help?
- They can prescribe medication to give when your child has a fit
- They can also prescribe regular medication to prevent or reduce the number of fits – this is usually given by mouth, but can also be given through a continuous subcutaneous pump if your child is unable to take oral medication.