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Serum Zinc Level in Children with Febrile Seizure
Firozeh Hosseini1, Ali Nikkhah2, Mojdeh Afkhami Goli3
1Pediatric Neurology, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran.
Insights
Children with febrile seizures (FS) have significantly lower serum zinc levels compared to healthy children. This suggests a potential role for zinc in FS occurrence, warranting further investigation into zinc supplementation for prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Febrile seizure (FS) is the most common seizure type in children, often linked to genetic factors.
- Trace elements, including zinc, are hypothesized to play a role in the occurrence of FS.
- Understanding the relationship between zinc levels and FS is crucial for pediatric health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare serum zinc levels in children experiencing febrile seizures versus febrile children without seizures.
- To determine if a correlation exists between serum zinc concentration and the incidence of febrile seizures.
Main Methods:
- A prospective case-control study involving 41 children with FS (case group) and 41 febrile children without seizures (control group).
- Participants were children aged six months to five years, recruited from Best Hospital, Hamadan, Iran.
- Serum zinc levels were quantified using atomic absorption spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Children with febrile seizures exhibited significantly lower mean serum zinc levels (70.41±20.46 mcg/dL) compared to the control group (92.73±17.62 mcg/dL).
- The difference in serum zinc levels between the case and control groups was statistically significant (P=0.001).
Conclusions:
- Serum zinc levels are demonstrably lower in children diagnosed with febrile seizures.
- Further research is recommended to explore the potential therapeutic benefits of zinc supplementation in preventing febrile seizures.
Objectives:
Febrile seizure (FS) is the most common type of seizure in children. FS is a genetic age-limited seizure, which only occurs with febrile illness. Today, it is known that genetic factors play a major role in the occurrence of FS. Nevertheless, some trace elements, such as zinc, may play an important role in the occurrence of FS. In this study, we investigated the serum level of zinc in patients with FS and febrile children without seizure (control group).
Materials &Methods:
This prospective case-control study was conducted on 41 patients with simple and complex FS as the case group and 41 febrile children without seizure as the age- and sex-matched control group. The participants were admitted to Best Hospital of Hamadan, Iran between January 2013 and January 2014 . The children's age ranged from six months to five years. Serum zinc levels were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy in these groups.
Results:
The mean serum zinc levels were 70.41±20.46 and 92.73±17.62 mcg/dL in the case and control groups, respectively (P=0.001). The results showed that the serum zinc level in children with FS was significantly lower than that of the control group.
Conclusion:
Based on the present results, serum zinc level was lower in children with febrile seizure. However, further basic research is needed to examine the efficacy of zinc supplements in the prevention of FS.
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