The cause of convulsions may be related to three diseases

1. High fever

High fever is the most common cause of convulsions in children, without a doubt.

The pathological process of febrile seizures is as follows: Since infants' brain nerves are prone to uncontrolled "discharge", they are far less stable than adults' brain nerves. Rapidly rising body temperature causes abnormal discharge of brain cells, resulting in sudden unconsciousness, stiff limbs and twitching, foaming at the mouth, drooping eyeballs, blue lips, etc.

Febrile convulsions often occur within 24 hours of fever. Most of them are systemic convulsions. The duration of the attack is relatively short, usually about 15 minutes. Febrile convulsions are common in children aged six months to five years old. In Taiwan, the incidence rate of children under six years old is 3-4%. About 20-40% of children with febrile convulsions have a family history of febrile convulsions.

Children with febrile seizures usually have good energy after a short sleep after the convulsion, unlike those with meningitis, encephalitis or other problems who suffer from continuous drowsiness.

2. Epilepsy

Epilepsy usually presents as recurrent convulsions with temporary disturbances of consciousness and sensation. It is mainly caused by incomplete development of the child's nervous system, which leads to excessive abnormal discharge of the cerebral cortex due to stimulation.

When a pediatric convulsion occurs due to epilepsy, most children will become unconscious, with their eyes closed or half-closed, their eyeballs rolled up, their teeth clenched, the corners of their mouth twitching, their heads tilted back, their limbs flexing and extending repeatedly, their lips becoming bluish, and their bodies becoming rigid. This condition can last from a dozen seconds to several minutes.

Epilepsy is a disease with a family history. There are various causes of epilepsy in children, and the clinical manifestations vary. First of all, the cause should be identified and the diagnosis should be determined. If appropriate treatment is selected and the child takes the medicine on time and in the prescribed amount according to the doctor's instructions, the condition of most children can be controlled or cured.

3. Tetanus

The cause of tetanus is a specific infection after trauma. Neonatal tetanus is often caused by improper disinfection of the umbilical cord.

The typical symptom of tetanus is paroxysmal severe spasms based on muscle tonic contraction (muscle rigidity and stiffness). Usually the first muscles affected are the masticatory muscles, followed by the facial expression muscles, neck, back, abdomen, limb muscles, and finally the diaphragm.

The above seizures can be triggered by mild stimulation, such as light, sound, touch, drinking water, etc.