Complications

Most febrile seizures produce no lasting effects. Simple febrile seizures don't cause brain damage, intellectual disability or learning disabilities, and they don't mean your child has a more serious underlying disorder.

Febrile seizures are provoked seizures and don't indicate epilepsy. Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures caused by abnormal electrical signals in the brain.

Recurrent febrile seizures

The most common complication is the possibility of more febrile seizures. The risk of recurrence is higher if:

• Your child's first seizure resulted from a low-grade fever.
• The febrile seizure was the first sign of illness.
• An immediate family member has a history of febrile seizures.
• Your child was younger than 18 months at the time of the first febrile seizure.