Olympian Bode Miller’s 3-year-old son suffers febrile seizure: What to know about the condition

(NEW YORK) — The wife of Olympic gold medalist skier Bode Miller is opening up about a health scare they faced with their 3-year-old son, one of the couple’s eight children.

Morgan Miller shared on Instagram Tuesday that their son, Asher, was taken to the hospital after suffering what she described as a febrile seizure.

“Life is constantly walking a knife edge and it’s not something we are unfamiliar with,” Morgan Miller wrote in an Instagram story, alongside a photo of her husband and their son. “Yesterday, Asher had a febrile seizure which scared us half to death.”

She continued, “We took that same ambulance to the same hospital we took Emmy to but this time we got to leave with our child.”

Emmy is the Millers’ daughter who died in a tragic drowning accident in 2018 when she was 19 months old.

Morgan Miller wrote in a later story that Asher was home and “back to his normal self,” adding that the health scare reminded her to “slow down and realize life’s little gifts,” especially during the holiday season.

“We already have everything we need,” she wrote. “Our loved ones, our health and more time.”

Morgan Miller gave birth to Asher and his twin brother Aksel in 2019. In addition to the twins and Emmy, the Millers are parents to an 8-year-old son, 4-year-old daughter, 1-year-old daughter and Bode Miller’s two children from previous relationships.

What to know about febrile seizures

The type of seizure that sent the Millers’ son to the hospital, a febrile seizure, is triggered by fever, according to the National Institutes of Health.

A seizure of that type is typically brought on by a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or more, though it can occur at any temperature greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

A febrile seizure does not signify that a child has epilepsy, according to the NIH.

A febrile seizure typically happens only once during the illness that brought on the fever, like common colds or the flu, can occur just before or after the fever begins and typically lasts just one to two minutes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Asher is in the age range of when febrile seizures are most likely to occur, between 6 months and 5 years old.

Febrile seizures are most common in children 12 to 18 months old, according to the AAP.

Symptoms of febrile seizures may include the loss of consciousness, changes in breathing or skin color, eye rolling, stiff limbs and arms and legs shaking uncontrollably.

The AAP recommends that parents “act immediately” if they think their child is having a febrile seizure.

The steps of action include placing the child on the floor or bed and away from any sharp objects, turning their head to the side, preventing anything from going in their mouth and calling their child’s doctor.

If a seizure does not stop after five minutes, parents or caregivers should call 911, according to the AAP.

A doctor or medical provider will recommend the best care option for each child. In general, febrile seizures cannot be treated or prevented, according to the AAP.

Fever-reducing medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen, according to the AAP, do not prevent febrile seizures.

Febrile seizures do not cause long-term health problems in a child, according to both the AAP and NIH.