American Academy of Pedatrics changes recommendations regarding lumbar puncture after simple febrile seizure

The updated guidelines - directed at children 6 - 60 months old who have sustained a simple febrile seizure - recommends that a LP be considered for the following groups of children:

• ill appearing
• between 6 - 12 months whose immunizations are not up to date
• pretreated with antibiotics 

This replaces the previous AAP recommendation in 1996 that an LP be "strongly considered" in all children < 12 months  who present with a simple febrile seizure.


Source

Subcommittee on Febrile Seizures. Clinical practice guideline — Neurodiagnostic evaluation of the child with a simple febrile seizure. Pediatrics 2011 Feb; 127:389.