I am reading a book for parents which says that "if [the seizure lasts
for more than 5-10 minutes, take the child to the nearest doctor or
hospital.  Seizures that last more than 10-20 minutes may require
medication to stop them. . . . Even recurrent febrile seizures are not
harmful and do not result in brain damage, death or epilepsy."  It goes
on to state that there is no evidence that lowering the temperature by
giving acetaminophen will prevent a seizure.

This brand new book claims that this information is research based.
What do you think?  These things don't make sense to me.  If brain
damage occurs from lack of breathing for 4-6 minutes, how would a 20
minute seizure (much longer than any seizure I have ever seen) not cause
brain damage.  During a grand mal seizure the patient stops breathing
and it is impossible to ventilate him mechanically, to the best of my
knowledge.

Secondly, if the fever causes the seizure, how is it that lowering the
fever would not prevent it?

Thirdly, why advise a parent to WAIT if a child is having a seizure.  I
think they should call for help immediately.

Bonnie Jones, RN, ICCE, IBCLC