What Should You Do When Your Child Has a Seizure?

Question

What should parents do when their child experiences a seizure?

Answer

When your child has a seizure, remain calm and avoid moving them or rubbing their limbs. Support their head with your hand and tilt it back and to one side. Place a cold towel on their head or use an ice pack. Unbutton their shirt and keep it loose. Use a clean cloth to wrap around a spoon and insert it between your child’s upper and lower teeth to keep the airway open and prevent them from biting their tongue. This also helps to avoid vomit entering the airway, which can cause suffocation or aspiration pneumonia.