The seizure is most likely a febrile seizure, which can occur in children between 6 months and 5 years of age in response to a rapid rise in body temperature. In this case, the child developed a fever (100°F) a few hours after a fall and then had a seizure several hours later. Since the child was behaving normally after the fall and the seizure occurred hours later with the onset of fever, febrile seizure is more likely than a seizure due to head injury.
However, it is important to rule out any intracranial injury, especially if the fall was significant (e.g., from height or onto a hard surface), if the child lost consciousness, vomited, is unusually drowsy, or has persistent irritability.
Next Steps
Consult a pediatrician immediately for neurological evaluation.
• Consider a CT scan of the head if there are any red flags (loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, persistent drowsiness, abnormal movements, bulging fontanel, etc.).
• Monitor fever and treat with antipyretics like paracetamol.
• If another seizure occurs, or if seizure duration was >5 minutes, seek emergency care.
Health Tips
Ensure child safety to prevent further falls.
• Keep a record of seizure duration and symptoms for further pediatric review.