[Febrile seizures in infants and children : know how to respond].

Febrile seizures are the most common neurological disorder in infants and children. They affect children aged 6 months to 5 years with a frequency of 2 to 4 %. The diagnosis is clinical, and additional tests are mainly used to rule out other differential diagnoses. A distinction is made between simple febrile seizures and complex febrile seizures. Most febrile seizures stop spontaneously within a few minutes. If not, emergency treatment with benzodiazepines or even antiepileptic drugs is necessary. The prognosis is usually favourable. Recurrences are estimated at around 30 %. The risk of neurological sequelae is almost zero, while the risk of developing epilepsy later on is minimal.