Febrile Convulsions in Childhood

SEVERAL years ago, electroencephalographic and clinical observations on 150 children with febrile convulsions1were reported. Since then, 90 cases have been added to the series and a follow-up study of some of the original group has been completed. Observations on the original and added cases form the basis of this report. Convulsions occur in an estimated 6 to 7 per cent of children under the age of 5 years, and fever precipitates the convulsions in half the cases.2Opinions concerning the significance of the febrile convulsions have varied. Some authors expressed the belief that they bear no relationship to epilepsy.3Others were of the opinion that febrile convulsions occur in children who have a hereditary predisposition to convulsions and increase their likelihood of having recurrent convulsions in adult life.4 Neyroud5reported electroencephalographic abnormalities diagnostic of epilepsy in 3 per cent of 70 children with febrile