Febrile Convulsions in Children, Their Frequency and Prognosis

Summary In a series of 405 children with febrile convulsions, admitted to hospital between 1938 and 1953, 82 per cent had the first attack of febrile convulsions within the first 3 years of life, in most cases about the age of 18 months. Fifty‐five per cent were boys. In 63 per cent of the cases the fever had been caused by acute affections in the upper respiratory tract. — In 12.3 per cent the children were readmitted with febrile convulsions.— Forty per cent of all children under 7 years admitted during a 5‐year period were febrile. Every ninth of these had febrile convulsions. It was possible to follow up 77 per cent of the 405 children. — Sixty‐eight per cent of the children followed up had been in completely good health since their discharge. — Epilepsy had been confirmed in 3.8 per cent. — In 20 per cent of the cases there have been convulsions later on without epilepsy being diagnosed. About half the number of these children have, however, been characterized as nervous. — There have been no convulsions in about 9 per cent of the cases, but various mental difficulties have been present. In conclusion 7 criteria are mentioned which are of importance in the differential diagnosis between febrile convulsions and epilepsy.