Which seizure is caused by high fever and is common in children aged 6 months to 6 years?

• A. Febrile seizure
• B. Absence seizure
• C. Complex partial seizure
• D. Syncope

Answer: (A)

Seizures triggered by fever in young children are febrile seizures. This type most commonly appears in kids around six months up to about six years old, when a fever can briefly provoke a generalized convulsion. It’s the fever acting as the trigger, not an ongoing epilepsy or brain injury, and with proper care the long-term outlook is usually good. Absence seizures are brief lapses of consciousness that aren’t tied to fever and typically occur in slightly older children. Complex partial seizures start with a focal onset and altered awareness, often lasting longer and may have postictal confusion, not simply fever-related. Syncope is fainting from reduced blood flow to the brain and isn’t a true seizure, and it lacks the convulsive pattern and postictal features seen with seizures.