It is late at night and your baby wakes up with a high fever. While you are comforting your child and called the pediatrician, the baby goes into a seizure. What do you do? chances are that you rush your baby to the emergency room where it may be standard procedure to perform a spinal tap to rule out bacterial meningitis. But new research is showing that this painful procedure that requires sedation may not be the best choice for your baby. Read more to find out what the new information is all about.
Febrile seizures are very scary but usually harmless results of a high fever or a fever that comes on suddenly in a baby, generally one who is 18 months or younger.
As long as the baby is monitored and kept away from harm, the seizures themselves are usually uncomplicated and no cause for alarm. Of course, I am not a medical doctor, so you should always consult your pediatrician.
Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Boston are reporting that the current recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics to perform a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) when a baby presents with febrile seizures may not be necessary. This is an important find, since spinal taps can be very painful. It is generally a safe procedure, though, without complications.
The study took a look at 704 babies that were seen in the emergency room for a simple first time febrile seizer. Out of these, 271 babies underwent a spinal tap. In every case, there was no diagnosis of bacterial meningitis, although 10 of the babies did have elevated white cell count.
Babies who are vaccinated against flu and pneumonia, according to Children’s Hospital of Boston, have virtually no risk of developing bacterial meningitis in the first place, since the pathogens that cause those two illnesses are the major reasons for developing bacterial meningitis.
The researchers caution that spinal taps should still be considered for complicated seizures and clinical signs that indicate the possibility of the illness.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.
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