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Effectiveness of Iron Therapy on Breath Holding Spells in the Children

Elham Bidabadi1, Sedigheh Poornabi Darzi1, Parham Mashouf1

  • 1Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.

Iranian Journal of Child Neurology
|October 25, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Iron deficiency anemia may contribute to Breath-Holding Spells (BHS) in children. Treating iron deficiency significantly reduced spell frequency, suggesting a crucial role for iron levels in BHS management.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Breath-Holding Spells (BHS) pathophysiology remains unclear.
  • The link between BHS and anemia requires further investigation, despite anecdotal evidence of iron supplementation efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential relationship between iron levels and the occurrence of Breath-Holding Spells in children.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of iron supplementation in managing BHS.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 42 children (6 months–2 years) diagnosed with BHS were enrolled.
  • All participants received ferrous sulfate treatment (6 mg/kg/d, 3 times daily) regardless of baseline iron status.
  • Treatment response was assessed by monitoring spell frequency.

Main Results:

  • Iron deficiency anemia was present in 21.42% and depleted iron stores in 52.38% of cases.
  • Children with simple spells had higher mean hemoglobin (Hb) levels than those with severe spells (P=0.008).
  • Iron therapy led to a significant reduction in spell frequency (40.14 to 11.14 spells/month, P<0.0001), with 76.19% achieving complete spell control.

Conclusions:

  • Iron deficiency anemia appears to play a significant role in the initiation and severity of Breath-Holding Spells.
  • Iron supplementation is an effective treatment for reducing the frequency and improving the outcomes of BHS in affected children.
Abstract

Keywords:
Breath holding spellsChildIron therapy

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