Seizures and Staring Spells: What to Do and When to Seek Care

An independent educational resource prepared by Mark M. Simonian, MD, FAAP

Sources checked: August 5, 2026     |     Medical review completed: August 5, 2026

This page is for general education only and does not replace individualized medical advice. This resource does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. For questions about your own child, contact your child's current healthcare professional.

Magnolia Pediatrics, Valley Children's Healthcare

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A seizure can look like rhythmic shaking, stiffening, a sudden fall, loss of awareness, staring, blinking, chewing movements, unusual behavior, or confusion. Most seizures stop within a few minutes, but timing and keeping the child safe are essential. Families do not need to determine the seizure type during the event.

Urgent Warning Signs - Check This First

Start timing the seizure immediately. Follow your child's written Seizure Action Plan or prescribed rescue-medicine plan if one is available. Do not give food, drink, or medicine by mouth unless the child is fully awake and the plan specifically directs it.

CALL 911 NOW

  • The seizure lasts 5 minutes or longer, or another seizure begins before your child returns to their usual level of awareness

  • Your child has trouble breathing, turns blue or gray, does not wake or return toward their usual state after the seizure, or you believe your child is in immediate danger

  • This is your child's first seizure, especially if there is loss of consciousness, a fall, shaking, or no clear explanation

  • A seizure happens in water, follows a serious injury, occurs with possible poisoning, or causes a significant injury

  • A child with diabetes loses consciousness, or a child has a known serious medical condition and the event is outside the written emergency plan

GET EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE NOW

  • A seizure occurs with fever and a stiff neck, severe headache, purple or bruise-like rash, repeated vomiting, serious illness, or a child who is not acting normally afterward

  • A baby younger than 3 months has a rectal temperature of 100.4 F (38.0 C) or higher or has any seizure-like event

  • A seizure affects only one side of the body, is followed by new weakness, trouble speaking, severe headache, or a child cannot walk or use an arm or leg normally

  • A child has a known seizure disorder but the seizure is different from usual, longer than usual, occurs in a cluster, causes injury, or the written action plan directs emergency care

CONTACT YOUR CHILD'S HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL TODAY

  • A brief seizure-like event or staring spell has resolved completely but has not yet been evaluated, even if no emergency warning sign is present

  • Staring episodes recur, interrupt school or play, occur with eyelid fluttering, chewing or hand movements, or the child does not respond to their name or gentle touch

  • The child has fever, a new illness, head injury, medicine change, missed seizure medicine, sleep deprivation, or another possible trigger

  • Parents, school staff, or caregivers are unsure whether a spell is a seizure, fainting episode, breath-holding spell, daydreaming, or another event

  • You need an updated Seizure Action Plan, rescue-medicine plan, school plan, sports or water-safety guidance, or caregiver training

Seizure First Aid: Stay, Safe, Side

  • Stay calm and stay with the child. Start timing the seizure and note what you see

  • Ease the child to the floor if falling, move hard or sharp objects away, place something soft and flat under the head, and loosen tight clothing around the neck

  • Turn the child gently onto one side with the mouth facing down when possible, especially if there is saliva or vomiting

  • Do not hold the child down, try to stop the movements, put anything in the mouth, or try to prevent tongue biting. A child cannot swallow their tongue during a seizure

  • Do not give water, food, or mouth-to-mouth breaths during the seizure. If breathing has not returned after the seizure ends, call 911 and begin CPR if you are trained and directed by the dispatcher

After the Seizure

  • Many children are sleepy, confused, or have a headache after a seizure. Keep them in a safe position, observe breathing and color, and do not leave them alone until recovery is clear

  • Write down the start and stop time, what the body did, whether one or both sides were involved, color or breathing changes, illness or fever, injury, and recovery time

  • If safe to do so, a short video can help the healthcare professional identify what happened. Do not delay safety steps or emergency calling to record a video

  • Follow the child's individual plan for rescue medicine, repeated seizures, and when to return to normal activities. Do not change daily seizure medicines without medical advice

Febrile Seizures

Febrile seizures can occur in some otherwise healthy children, usually between 6 months and 5 years, around the time of a fever. They are frightening but are often brief. The priority is first aid and finding the cause of the fever - not trying to lower the fever quickly enough to prevent a seizure.

  • Place the child safely on their side, time the seizure, and do not put anything in the mouth

  • Call 911 if the seizure lasts 5 minutes or longer, repeats without recovery, causes breathing trouble, or the child does not return toward normal

  • Contact the child's healthcare professional after any febrile seizure so the fever and illness can be evaluated

  • Fever-reducing medicine may improve comfort but does not reliably prevent febrile seizures. Use it only as directed for the child's age and weight

Staring Spells

Not every staring episode is a seizure. Daydreaming, inattention, fatigue, anxiety, and other conditions can look similar. A brief staring spell is more concerning when the child cannot be interrupted, does not respond to their name or touch, has repeated identical episodes, or has automatic movements such as eyelid fluttering, chewing, or picking at clothing.

  • During a safe episode, gently call the child's name and touch their shoulder. Do not shake them or put anything near the mouth

  • Note the time, duration, responsiveness, movements, what happened before and after, and whether the child remembers the event

  • Share observations or a safe video with the child's healthcare professional. Do not label the episode as a seizure or ignore it without evaluation if it recurs

Call Preparation

  • Age, seizure or spell start and stop time, body movements, awareness, breathing or color changes, injury, and how quickly the child recovered

  • Fever and how it was measured, recent illness, head injury, sleep changes, missed meals, medicine changes, possible substance exposure, or missed seizure medicine

  • Known epilepsy, diabetes, neurologic or heart conditions, prescribed rescue medicine, and the written action plan if one exists

  • A short video if it was obtained safely, plus observations from school, sports, or other caregivers

Related Guides

  • Fever and Illness: When to Seek Care

  • Dizziness and Fainting in Children: When to Seek Care

  • Headache in Children: When to Seek Care

  • Head Injuries and Concussion: When to Seek Care

Sources and Medical Review

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, First Aid for Seizures: Read source

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Types of Seizures: Read source

  • HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics), Febrile Seizures in Children: Read source

  • HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics), When to Call Emergency Medical Services for Your Child: Read source

  • Epilepsy Foundation, Seizure First Aid for Children: Read source