# Febrile Seizure First Aid UK — 999 Rules & Recovery | Clever Mum

> NHS first aid for febrile seizures in babies and children — timing the fit, recovery position, when to call 999, and what not to do.

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#  Febrile Seizure First Aid: What UK Parents Should Do 

   [ EW ](/authors/emma-whitfield/)  
 By [ Emma Whitfield ](/authors/emma-whitfield/) · Pregnancy & Baby Writer 

 
 Published 11 August 2026  

         
 
Quick answer — Are febrile seizures epilepsy? 

 
If your child has a febrile seizure, note the start time, protect their head, clear hazards, and do not put anything in their mouth. Call 999 for a first seizure, any fit over 5 minutes, breathing difficulty, one-sided stiffness, more than one seizure in 24 hours, or unusual sleepiness lasting over an hour afterwards. Most last 2–3 minutes and need hospital assessment after the first episode.

    
Who should skip this

 
Do not use this instead of 999 while a seizure is happening. Skip it if you wanted a general fever page.

    
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A febrile seizure looks terrifying. Most are short and not dangerous long-term — but **first seizures need medical assessment**, and some patterns are 999 without debate.

## What is a febrile seizure?

A fit linked to a **high temperature**, usually in children between about **6 months and 6 years**. NHS: they often last **2–3 minutes** and rarely more than **10**.

## What should you do during the seizure?

**Do**- Check the **clock** (start and end)- Protect the head with your hands or something soft- Move dangerous objects away- After it stops: recovery position; check nothing is blocking the mouth/throat

**Do not**- Hold them down- Put anything in their mouth- Sponge with cold water or undress to “cool” them mid-seizure

## When should you call 999 or go to A&E?

**Call 999 / A&E if your child:**

* Has a seizure for the **first time**
* Has a seizure lasting **more than 5 minutes**
* Is having difficulty breathing
* Has stiffness/twitching on **only one side**
* Is more sleepy than usual for **more than 1 hour** after
* Has **more than one** seizure within 24 hours

Do **not** drive while they are still seizing or unconscious — call 999.

## What about the fever itself?

After emergency care is sorted, use NHS fever rules: [when to take a baby with a fever to A&E](/baby/when-to-take-baby-fever-to-ae). For home monitoring later, a [digital armpit thermometer](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=digital+baby+thermometer+armpit&tag=clevermum0c-21) beats forehead strips.

## What do UK parents actually say about this?

**Parents describe the first febrile seizure as the scariest 90 seconds of parenthood — and nearly all who called an ambulance say they were glad they did not wait to “see if it stopped”.**** Timing it on a phone lock screen is the tip that gets passed on most.

## Who should skip “wait and see if it ends”?

**Skip waiting if it is the first seizure, hits 5 minutes, breathing looks wrong, or they will not come round properly afterwards.** Recurrent short seizures still need a medical plan — do not normalise them without clinician advice.

**What we’d change:** myths about putting a spoon in the mouth — dangerous and useless.

   
## What questions come up most?

    Are febrile seizures epilepsy?   
 No. They are not the same as epilepsy. There is a slightly increased chance of epilepsy later, but that remains uncommon. 

   Should every febrile seizure go to hospital?   
 A first febrile seizure needs medical assessment. Call 999/A&E for the red-flag timings and breathing issues listed above; follow clinician advice for any further episodes. 

     
## 
Sources & further reading

 
 *  [ Febrile seizures ](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/febrile-seizures/)  — NHS 
*  [ High temperature (fever) in children ](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/fever-in-children/)  — NHS 
 
     
## On this page

 
 *  [ 1 What is a febrile seizure? ](#what-is-a-febrile-seizure) 
*  [ 2 What should you do during the seizure? ](#what-should-you-do-during-the-seizure) 
*  [ 3 When should you call 999 or go to A&E? ](#when-should-you-call-999-or-go-to-ae) 
*  [ 4 What about the fever itself? ](#what-about-the-fever-itself) 
*  [ 5 What do UK parents actually say about this? ](#what-do-uk-parents-actually-say-about-this) 
*  [ 6 Who should skip “wait and see if it ends”? ](#who-should-skip-wait-and-see-if-it-ends) 
 
   
## At a glance

   Typical age 6 months – 6 years  Typical length 2–3 minutes  Call 999 if First fit, >5 min, breathing issues  Never Objects in the mouth     
Our promise

 

Health-adjacent points cite NHS or equivalent guidance. This article is general
            information, not medical advice — see our
[editorial policy](/editorial-policy/).

     
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