What to Do When Your Child Has a Seizure.
- Lucy
- Sep 30
- 2 min read
Stay calm and keep them safe:
If your child is having a seizure: stay with them, note the time the seizure starts, gently protect their head (use a cushion), and only move them if they are in immediate danger (e.g., near a road or hot surface). After convulsions stop, place them in the recovery position and stay with them until they regain full awareness. The NHS and epilepsy charities summarise these steps as basic first aid. nhs.uk+1
What NOT to do
Don’t restrain them or try to stop movements.
Don’t force anything into their mouth.
Don’t give them food or drink during the seizure.
When to call 999Call emergency services if: it’s their first seizure; the seizure lasts longer than usual for them (or >5 minutes if you don’t know their usual pattern); they don’t recover normally afterwards; or they have repeated seizures without recovery. These are NHS-recommended triggers for urgent help. nhs.uk+1
Record important details after the seizure
Time started and finished (very important)
Description (what happened, body parts involved, loss of consciousness)
Any warning signs (fever, illness, missed medication, lack of sleep)
Recovery notes (how long until back to baseline)
Medication given (name, dose, time)This record will be key for clinicians and may be vital for rescue medication discussions.
Making a seizure action plan
Work with clinicians to agree a written seizure action plan for school and carers. Charity resources and clinical teams can help you produce a clear, practical plan that explains when to give rescue medication and when to call emergency services. Epilepsy Foundation+1
How My Penelope helps right after a seizure
Start/stop timer in the Seizure Tracker so times are accurate.
Add structured fields (type, trigger, medication) and export the event to share with the neurology team.
Attach a timed video if it’s safe and consented, which can be extremely useful for diagnosis.
Bottom line
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