How Zoe Hardman reacted to her 4-month-old's febrile convulsion

Speaking to Good Morning Britain, Zoe revealed little Luna had been running a very high temperature and had a urine infection – which led to her having a febrile convulsion.

Febrile convulsions (which look like fits) can happen in babies when they’ve got a fever – and symptoms include fitting, skin turning pale, stiffening of the body, and loss of consciousness.

They’re not that uncommon, either: it's thought that 1 in 20 children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years will have one at some stage. After the age of 4, they're much less common.

Fortunately, when Luna began to convulse, Zoe knew exactly what to do – as, just 5 days earlier, she’d taken a first-aid course.

"I did panic,” she told GMB hosts Kate Garraway and Eamonn Holmes. “As a parent, your first instinct is to pick your baby up, but that's advised against.

“I put her on the floor in the recovery position [because otherwise] she could choke on her tongue or you could smother her. Their airways need to be clear with their head tipped back.”

Zoe’s definitely correct: if you ever find your child having a fit, the best thing to do is lie them in the recovery position (don’t put anything in their mouth) and then try to lower their temperature by sponging with lukewarm water.

If it is the first time your child has had a fit, you should take your child to hospital and if the fit is prolonged (more than 5 minutes with no signs of stopping) or your child is having them at frequently intervals, you should call an ambulance.

Fortunately, little Luna’s reached the 6-month mark without having any more seizures, and now Zoe’s speaking about her ordeal to encourage fellow new parents to become trained in first aid.

"I felt completely helpless after she was born and I did the course to arm myself with information.”

She later wrote on Instagram: "Thank you for having us @gmb - hopefully we've raised some much needed awareness about how key first aid is.

"Check out @st_john_ambulance to find out where your local course is being held. Do it before it's too late #firstaid #lunabug."

We’re SO glad Luna’s OK, and we’re also totally on board with Zoe’s vital first-aid message ?

For more info on first-aid courses for families, visit the St John Ambulance website here.

Images: Instagram/Zoe Hardman

Read more:

• First aid basics for babies
• The true importance of first aid for families
• Your essential emergency first aid kit