Febrile seizures in children

Benign febrile convulsions occur early in the course of fever of extracranial origin in children six months to five years old. The first seizure always calls for a spinal tap to exclude meningitis, as well as appropriate studies to exclude other causes of seizure activity. An EEG one week later is indicated but more extensive studies are usually nonproductive. The question of whether to employ long-term phenobarbital therapy has not been resolved.