Question

A child has been diagnosed with febrile seizures. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the parent teaching session?

1) Whenever your child develops a fever, place him in a warm bath and pour the water over his arms and legs.
2) Make sure to give your child high dosages of acetaminophen whenever his temperature goes above 104°F.
3) It is very important that your child have no more seizures to prevent him from experiencing permanent injury to his brain.
4) It should be comforting to know that most children outgrow the febrile seizures by the time they reach 6 years of age.

Answer 1

Parents should be informed that most children outgrow febrile seizures by age 6 and taught safe fever management. Febrile seizures typically do not cause permanent injury, but parents must know how to react during a seizure.

Step-by-step explanation:

When teaching parents about febrile seizures, it's important to provide accurate and reassuring information. One key point to include is that most children outgrow febrile seizures by the age of 6. This can provide comfort to parents worried about the long-term impact of these seizures on their child's health. It's also important to discuss safe fever management strategies, such as using the appropriate dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen when a child develops a fever, rather than high dosages or methods like warm baths that could increase the risk of seizures.

Additionally, while febrile seizures can be frightening, they typically do not cause permanent injury to the brain. However, it is crucial for parents to learn how to manage a seizure if it happens, including keeping the child safe during a seizure and seeking medical attention if a seizure lasts longer than a few minutes or is followed by a prolonged recovery period.