Kids' Health Shakes and Seizures in Children By Vincent Iannelli, MD facebook Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Vincent Iannelli, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Jonathan B. Jassey, DO on November 24, 2019 facebook Jonathan B. Jassey, DO, is board-certified in pediatrics. He has been in private practice at Bellmore Merrick Medical in New York since 2007 and is the co-author of "The Newborn Sleep Book." Learn about our Medical Review Board Jonathan B. Jassey, DO on November 24, 2019 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Symptoms Types of Seizures Other Causes A Word From Verywell Observing your child shake, space out, or pass out from a seizure is frightening. Children can develop seizures from a fever, a neurological condition such as epilepsy, a head injury, or other congenital conditions. Aaron MCcoy / Getty Images Symptoms Depending on the type of seizure, a child can experience a wide variety of symptoms. Some seizures are easy to recognize and have classically thought of symptoms like shaking and losing consciousness. Others are less obvious and may have no outward signs at all. Signs that your child may be experiencing a seizure include: staringtremorsconvulsions or jerking movements in the arms and legsstiffening of the bodyloss of consciousnessno response to noise or words for short periods of timeappearing confused or in a hazerapid eye blinking Some children experience focal seizures, previously called partial seizures, which, according to the Epilepsy Foundation, can include motor or non-motor symptoms. A person having a focal aware seizure, previoiusly called a simple partial seizure, will be aware but might unable to talk or respond during the event. Types of Seizures Seizures are an involuntary altering of consciousness or movement caused by abnormal, erratic electrical activity in the brain. In children, seizures can present in a number of ways. Generalized Generalized seizures involve both sides of the brain and children typically lose consciousness. There are several different types of generalized seizures including absence, tonic or atonic, tonic-clonic, and myoclonic seizures. Focal Focal seizures begin with electrical activity in a small region of the brain and may or may not spread. They can occur in any lobe of the brain and symptoms vary based on the brain regions involved. Just prior to a focal seizure, your child may experience an aura or strange feeling that can involve sensory changes, such as hearing, vision, or smell. The seizure itself may last under a minute and the child does not lose consciousness. In complex partial seizures, the affected child often experiences loss of consciousness. They may not always pass out, but during a complex partial seizure, a child will not be able to talk or interact with you at all, appearing to be in a trance. What to Expect If You Have Focal Seizures Absence An absence seizure, often referred to as petit mal seizure, is a non-convulsive seizure that is often not recognized as a seizure at all. A typical absence seizure manifests as a staring spell that usually lasts less than 10 seconds. If your child experiences an absence seizure, she will likely not be aware it is happening. During the seizure, consciousness is impaired, but unlike other seizures, there is no jerking movements or physical convulsions. Staring Spells and Absence Seizures Atonic Also called a drop attack, atonic seizures involve a sudden loss of muscle tone and may cause drop attacks. During the seizure, your child will go limp and be unresponsive. More common in children than adults, atonic seizures are relatively rare, with an estimated 1 percent to 3 percent of children with epilepsy experiencing atonic seizures. Atonic seizures can be either focal or generalized. They sometimes begin with jerking motions, last for a short period, and have a quick recovery, provided no injuries were sustained from the fall. How Are Atonic Seizures Different? Tonic-Clonic A tonic-clonic seizure, formerly called a grand mal seizure, is the "classic" type of seizure most people are familiar with. It involves loss of consciousness or awareness, plus uncontrolled jerking and stiffness of the arms, legs, or body. It generally lasts just a few seconds to a couple of minutes. The jerking motions and stiffness associated with this type of seizure are caused by abnormal activity in the region of the body that is controlled by the injured area of the brain. How Are Tonic-Clinic Seizures Treated? Myoclonic Seizures Myoclonic seizures most commonly occur in the morning and often occur in clusters (more than one). This type of seizure can be preceded by an aura and tends to last only a few seconds. It involves sudden, repetitive jerking movement that can involve an arm, a leg, or the face. Sometimes, myoclonic seizures can involve both sides of the body or more than one body part, such as an arm and a leg. Myoclonic seizures don’t usually cause a complete loss of consciousness or severe shaking or jerking. Your child may feel tired or sleepy afterward, though that is not always the case. What to Expect If You Have Myoclonic Epilepsy Febrile Seizure A seizure related to a high temperature is known as a febrile seizure. It is most common in children between 6 months and 5 years. They usually happen when a child's temperature is over 102 degrees F. However, they don't usually happen when the temperature is at it's highest. A febrile seizure can last between a few seconds to 10 or 15 minutes. Signs that a child is having a febrile seizure can be as minor as eyes rolling back in the head and stiffening of an arm or leg or as complete as full-body convulsions with loss of consciousness. Although scary for parents, febrile seizures are not harmful and do not cause brain damage. Febrile Seizures Typically Occur With a Fever Over 102 Degrees Other Causes Not all jerking movements or shakes are due to seizures. Other conditions that may appear similar to seizures include: Tremor: Involuntary shaking movements in an otherwise healthy child may be due to an essential tremor (also called a familial tremor), which runs in the family and most often appears during adolescence.Tics: Involuntary tics come in two main varieties—motor tics, such as shrugging their shoulders, and vocal tics, such as clearing the throat. Many people assume tics are associated with Tourette's Syndrome, but that is not always the case. Many of these tics are transient and can be due to anxiety.Shivering: Our bodies have a built-in mechanism for warming itself up—shivering. However, babies do not have the ability to shiver. This symptom in a baby or child who is not cold can be due to low blood sugar and is resolved after eating. How to Diagnose Children With Tremors and Tics A Word From Verywell If you suspect your child is having seizures, contact your pediatrician. Your doctor may refer you to a pediatric neurologist who can perform an EEG might help determine if these episodes are seizures or not. A seizure that lasts five minutes or longer is a potentially life-threatening emergency called status epilepticus. It typically requires treatment with a fast-acting medication that stops the seizure right away. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Johns Hopkins Medicine. What are the symptoms of a seizure in a child? Epilepsy Foundation. New Terms for Seizure Classification. Reviewed December 23, 2016. Epilepsy Foundation. What types of seizures are seen in children? Reviewed September 25, 2019. Epilepsy Foundation. Absence Seizures. Reviewed August 26, 2019. The Hospital for Sick Children. AboutKidsHealth. Atonic seizures. Updated February 4, 2010. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Febrile Seizures Fact Sheet. Updated August 13, 2019. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Tremor Fact Sheet. Updated August 13, 2019. Additional Reading Epilepsy Foundation. Types of Seizures. www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/parents-and-caregivers/about-kids/types-seizures Merck Manual. Seizures in Children. www.merckmanuals.com/home/children-s-health-issues/neurologic-disorders-in-children/seizures-in-children