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Iron deficiency as a risk factor for first febrile seizure

Rajwanti K Vaswani1, Praveen G Dharaskar, Swati Kulkarni

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India. anukvaswani@hotmail.com

Indian Pediatrics
|September 9, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Iron deficiency may increase the risk of febrile seizures in children. This study found lower iron levels in children experiencing their first febrile seizure compared to those with fever alone.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Hematology
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Febrile seizures are common in children.
  • Iron deficiency is a prevalent nutritional deficiency in pediatric populations.
  • The association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential role of iron deficiency as a risk factor for first-time febrile seizures in children.
  • To compare iron status markers between children with febrile seizures and controls with febrile illness.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 50 children aged 6 months to 6 years with a first febrile seizure (cases) and 50 age-matched children with febrile illness but no seizures (controls).
  • Iron deficiency was assessed using hemoglobin levels, red blood cell indices, and serum ferritin concentrations.
  • Statistical analysis was performed to compare iron status between the two groups.

Main Results:

  • Children with first febrile seizures had significantly lower mean serum ferritin levels (31.9 ± 31.0 microg/L) compared to controls (53.9 ± 56.5 microg/L).
  • The difference in mean serum ferritin levels was statistically significant (P = 0.003).
  • Hemoglobin and red blood cell indices were also evaluated, though serum ferritin showed the most significant difference.

Conclusions:

  • Iron deficiency may be a contributing risk factor for the occurrence of febrile seizures in children.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association and to explore potential preventative strategies.

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