How about brain damage? Nope. Neither high fevers nor febrile seizures cause brain damage. However, brain damage can lead to fever and seizure.

So back to the question on every parent's mind: What do I do during and after a febrile seizure. During the seizure, you want to make sure your child is in a safe place and breathing fine. If there are breathing difficulties, call 911. Start rescue breathing if your child is apneic or blue (a CPR course through the American Red Cross is a good idea for any parent). But realize this situation is extremely rare.

After the seizure, you should call your child's doctor. He may have you go to the emergency room or might see you in the office.

Witnessing a febrile seizure is scary--take it from me, a Dad and Pediatrician who lived through one. But in the overwhelming majority of cases, all is well in the end. Sure, we treat fevers in kids, but our primary goal is making your child more comfortable, not preventing a seizure. God made fevers for a reason. They have a purpose. Since seizures are a rare occurrence with fever, and since they are generally brief and without complication when they do occur, you should respect your child's fever, but please don't fear it.

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