Prevalence of Hypocalcemia in Seizures in Infancy

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Nutritional Science
• Neurology

Background:

• Seizures in infants and young children can be a symptom of underlying metabolic disturbances.
• Hypocalcemia (low calcium levels) is a recognized cause of seizures in pediatric populations.
• Vitamin D deficiency (hypovitaminosis-D) is prevalent globally and can lead to hypocalcemia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of hypocalcemia in developmentally normal children aged 1 month to 2 years presenting with seizures.
• To investigate the role of hypovitaminosis-D as a contributing factor to hypocalcemia in this cohort.

Main Methods:

• A one-year prospective study was conducted.
• Seventy-eight developmentally normal children aged 1 month to 2 years with seizures were enrolled.
• Prevalence of hypocalcemia, hypovitaminosis-D, and hypomagnesemia was assessed.

Main Results:

• Overall, 18 out of 78 (23.1%) infants had hypocalcemia.
• Hypovitaminosis-D was the cause in 15 infants (19.2%), while 3 (3.8%) had hypomagnesemia.
• Infants exclusively breastfed under 6 months showed a significantly higher prevalence of hypocalcemia (41.67%) compared to older age groups (p=0.001).

Conclusions:

• Hypocalcemia is a significant finding in young children presenting with seizures.
• Hypovitaminosis-D is a primary driver of hypocalcemia in this pediatric group.
• Exclusive breastfeeding in infants under six months necessitates monitoring for vitamin D sufficiency to prevent hypocalcemia and seizures.