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Risk of subsequent attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder in children with febrile seizures

Yi-Chia Ku1, Chih-Hsin Muo, Chin-Shein Ku

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, , Taichung, Taiwan.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|December 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Children with a history of febrile seizures (FS) face an increased risk of developing attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Frequent medical visits for FS correlate with a higher incidence of ADHD, suggesting a potential link.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neurology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Febrile seizures (FS) are common in childhood.
  • Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder.
  • The relationship between FS and ADHD requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the risk of ADHD in children with a history of febrile seizures (FS).
  • To determine if FS is a risk factor for subsequent ADHD diagnosis.

Main Methods:

  • A nationwide cohort study included 1081 children with FS (cases) and 4 age-, sex-, and socioeconomically matched controls per case.
  • Cox's proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI).
  • Follow-up extended to 11 years, analyzing ADHD incidence based on FS history and visit frequency.

Main Results:

  • The incidence of ADHD was 7.83 per 1000 person-years in the FS cohort versus 4.72 per 1000 person-years in the control cohort.
  • Children with FS had a 1.66 times higher risk of ADHD (95% CI 1.27 to 2.18) compared to controls.
  • Increased frequency of physician visits for FS was associated with a higher risk of ADHD.

Conclusions:

  • Febrile seizures may be associated with an increased risk of developing ADHD in children.
  • Children with multiple FS-related medical visits demonstrated a significantly higher cumulative incidence of ADHD.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child PsychiatryEpidemiologyNeurologyOutcomes research

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