Preventive treatment for recurrent febrile seizures

Febrile seizures are the most common convulsive events in childhood occurri ng in 2-5% of children. 20-30% of these children will have a recurrence dur ing a subsequent febrile infection. Even though the outcome of febrile seiz ures is benign, the possibility of recurrences keeps most families in fear for years after the first seizure event. Each febrile infection the child e xperiences increases the risk of recurrence, and there is a positive correl ation between the height of the temperature during an infectious disease an d the occurrence of febrile seizures. However, prophylactic use of antipyre tics does not decrease the recurrence rate. Intermittent use of diazepam du ring febrile episodes prevents febrile seizures only in selected child popu lations. The continuous use of antiepileptic drugs is no longer warranted b ecause their side-effects outweigh their benefits. The number of febrile ep isodes is the only risk factor that can be influenced by preventive measure s. The time being, we can reassure parents on the benign nature of febrile seizures.