US Medical Term · maternity
Febrile Seizure
Convulsión febril
What it means
A febrile seizure is a convulsion in a child triggered by a fever; the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) defines it as a seizure caused by a fever in healthy infants and young children. NINDS says children between ages of 6 months and 5 years are the most likely to have them, and that having a febrile seizure does not mean a child has epilepsy. Simple febrile seizures, the most common type, last a few seconds up to 15 minutes and happen only once in 24 hours; complex febrile seizures last longer than 15 minutes, happen more than once in 24 hours, or happen only on one part of the body. MedlinePlus says to call 911 or the local emergency number if the seizure lasts several minutes.
Febrile Seizure in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Convulsión febril
- Gender and article
- feminine: la convulsión febril (plural: las convulsiones febriles)
- Pronunciation
- kohn-bool-SYOHN feh-BREEL
Convulsión febril is the term used by MedlinePlus en español and by the Spanish page of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and it is feminine: una convulsión febril. Both pages are titled in the plural, Convulsiones febriles. The Spanish dictionary defines the adjective febril as belonging or relating to fever (perteneciente o relativo a la fiebre), with a second sense, que tiene fiebre, for someone who has a fever.
The NINDS Spanish page names the two types convulsiones febriles simples and convulsiones febriles complejas, and says tener una convulsión febril no significa que un niño tenga epilepsia. MedlinePlus en español uses convulsión tónicoclónica for a tonic-clonic seizure, which it says involves the whole body. Its emergency instruction reads Si la convulsión dura varios minutos, llame al 911 o al número local de emergencias: if the seizure lasts several minutes, call 911 or the local emergency number.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | My son had a fever, and then his whole body started to shake. | Mi hijo tenía fiebre, y luego todo el cuerpo se le empezó a sacudir. |
| Clinician | How long did the shaking last? | ¿Cuánto tiempo duraron las sacudidas? |
| Patient | About two minutes, and afterward he was very sleepy. | Unos dos minutos, y después tenía mucho sueño. |
| Clinician | Did it affect his whole body or only one part? | ¿Le afectó todo el cuerpo o solo una parte? |
| Clinician | Has he ever had a seizure before, with or without a fever? | ¿Ha tenido alguna vez una convulsión, con o sin fiebre? |
| Patient | No, this was the first time. Does a febrile seizure mean he has epilepsy? | No, esta fue la primera vez. ¿Una convulsión febril significa que tiene epilepsia? |
| Clinician | Having a febrile seizure does not mean a child has epilepsy. | Tener una convulsión febril no significa que un niño tenga epilepsia. |
| Clinician | Did anyone in your family have febrile seizures as a child? | ¿Alguien de su familia tuvo convulsiones febriles en la infancia? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Febrile Seizure |
| Spanish (Español) | Convulsión febril |
| Chinese (中文) | 熱性痙攣 |
| Korean (한국어) | 열성 경련 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Co giật do sốt |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Febrile seizure |
| Portuguese (Português) | Convulsão febril |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ชักจากไข้ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 熱性けいれん |
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
ICD-10-CM code: R56 → Convulsions, not elsewhere classifiedRelated terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Brain and nerves
All terms in this area: Brain and nerves — Cerebro y nervios
Sources
- Febrile seizures — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, National Library of Medicine
- Convulsiones febriles — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Febrile Seizures — National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH
- Convulsiones Febriles — Instituto Nacional de Trastornos Neurológicos y Accidentes Cerebrovasculares (NINDS), NIH
- febril — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026