Some parents try to prevent febrile seizures by promptly bringing down any fever. But seizures tend to occur suddenly, sometimes before you even realize that your child is ill.
If your child has a fever and he's had a febrile seizure before, it's understandable that you'll worry about it happening again. Talk with his doctor about your concern. She'll be able to tell you if and when it's wise to try to bring down your child's fever.
If your child frequently has febrile seizures, his doctor may recommend a medication for him to take whenever he has a fever to lower the risk of a seizure. Such drugs have side effects, however, and in most instances, since febrile seizures are generally harmless, it's unnecessary to take preventive measures.
Usually a fever that causes a febrile seizure is the result of a viral upper respiratory infection (such as a cold or flu), stomach flu, roseola, or an ear infection. But in rare cases, the fever is a symptom of meningitis or another serious problem. Your child's doctor will consider his symptoms and screen him further if necessary.