Table of contents
Quick answer
Stay calm. Lay your child on their side on a safe, flat surface, move hard objects away, and do not put anything in the mouth. Note the time the fit starts. Go to the nearest hospital emergency straight away if the fit lasts more than 5 minutes, your child has trouble breathing, or does not wake up afterwards. Every first fit should be checked by a doctor.
What is a fit (seizure)?
A fit, or seizure, happens when there is a sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain. During a fit a child may stiffen, jerk the arms and legs, stare blankly, roll the eyes up or lose consciousness for a short time.
Seeing your child have a fit is very frightening. Most fits stop on their own within a few minutes. Knowing what to do helps you keep your child safe.
During the fit
What to do
- Stay calm and stay with your child.
- Lay them on their side on the floor or a bed, away from hard or sharp things.
- Put something soft under the head and loosen tight clothes around the neck.
- Note the time the fit starts and, if you can, take a short video for the doctor.
What not to do
- Don't put a spoon, finger or anything else in the mouth.
- Don't hold the child down or try to stop the jerking.
- Don't give water, food or medicine by mouth.
- Don't pour water on the face or make the child smell anything.
When to go to the hospital straight away
Take your child to the nearest hospital emergency — call an ambulance if you can — if:
- The fit lasts more than 5 minutes
- Another fit starts before the child wakes up
- The child has trouble breathing or turns blue
- The child does not wake up properly after the fit
- There is a high fever, a rash or a stiff neck
- The fit followed a fall or a head injury
After the fit
Keep your child on their side until they are fully awake. It is normal for a child to be sleepy, confused or tired for a while after a fit. Let them rest and stay close.
Notes that help the doctor
- When the fit started and how long it lasted
- What your child was doing just before
- Which parts of the body moved
- Any fever or illness in the last few days
- How your child was afterwards
- The phone video, if you took one
Fits with fever (febrile seizures)
Some young children — usually between 6 months and 5 years — have a fit when they have a high fever. These are called febrile seizures. They are usually short, but the child should still see a doctor to find the cause of the fever and make sure there is no serious infection.
What happens at the doctor's visit
The doctor will ask what happened, look at the video if you have one, and examine your child. Depending on the situation, the doctor may advise tests such as an EEG (a test of the brain's electrical activity), blood tests, or a brain scan. Many children need only a few of these. The doctor will explain what the results mean and what to do if another fit happens.
Child neurology careFits, development, headaches and other brain and nerve problems in children — on Dr. Mehta's child neurology pageCommon questions
Not always. Many children have a single fit and never have another. Epilepsy is usually considered only when fits keep coming back. The doctor will guide you after checking your child.
No. This is a common myth. Do not put a spoon, finger, cloth or anything else in the mouth — it can hurt the child or break teeth. Turning the child on their side keeps the airway clear.
No. Do not give anything by mouth until the child is fully awake and can swallow normally. Only give an emergency medicine if a doctor has prescribed it for your child and shown you how.
Fits with fever (febrile seizures) are fairly common in young children and are usually short. Even so, every first fit — with or without fever — should be checked by a doctor to find the cause of the fever and rule out infection.
Fit lasting over 5 minutes?
Or trouble breathing, or not waking up — go to the nearest hospital emergency now.
Your child had a fit?
Book a consultation with Dr. Rohan Mehta, child neurologist, to check the cause and plan the next steps.
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