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Serum zinc levels in children with simple febrile seizure

R Ganesh1, Lalitha Janakiraman

  • 1Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital, Chennai, India. ganeped79@rediffmail.com

Clinical Pediatrics
|September 18, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Indian children experiencing febrile seizures had significantly lower serum zinc levels compared to healthy children. Further research into zinc supplementation for preventing febrile seizures is warranted.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Nutritional Science
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Febrile seizures are common in young children.
  • The role of micronutrients, like zinc, in seizure etiology is under investigation.
  • Low serum zinc levels have been anecdotally linked to neurological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare serum zinc levels in children with simple febrile seizures versus age-matched controls.
  • To determine if a correlation exists between low serum zinc and febrile seizures in pediatric populations.
  • To provide evidence for potential therapeutic interventions.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective case-control study design was employed.
  • Serum zinc levels were measured in 38 children (3 months–5 years) with simple febrile seizures.
  • Serum zinc levels were compared to 38 age-matched healthy controls.

Main Results:

  • Mean serum zinc levels were significantly lower in children with febrile seizures (32.17 microg/dL) compared to controls (87.6 microg/dL).
  • The difference in serum zinc levels was statistically significant (P < .001).
  • This suggests a strong association between low serum zinc and febrile seizures.

Conclusions:

  • Children in India with febrile seizures exhibit lower serum zinc levels.
  • Zinc deficiency may be a contributing factor to febrile seizures in this population.
  • Investigating zinc supplementation as a preventative measure for febrile seizures is recommended.

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