Evaluation of Febrile Seizures Focusing on the Diurnal Variation

Background and objectives Several studies have reported the diurnal variation of febrile seizures (FS) in children. However, it remains unclear whether there is a difference in diurnal variation depending on the types of FS. The present study aims to investigate whether simple FS or complex FS influences diurnal fluctuations. Methods In this single-facility retrospective study, Japanese pediatricians collected clinical data from 247 children with FS. We evaluated the diurnal occurrence of FS using medical files. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess differences in distribution by classifying days into four six-hour time periods: night (0:00-6:00), morning (6:00-12:00), afternoon (12:00-18:00), and evening (18:00-24:00). Results In the simple FS group, the highest rate was observed in the evening (35.16%), followed by the afternoon (29.69%), with the lowest rate in the morning (14.06%). In the complex FS group, the highest rates were observed in both the afternoon (30.95%) and evening (30.95%), with the lowest rate at night (16.67%). The distributions of simple FS and complex FS were significantly different. Conclusion FS exhibited different diurnal variations depending on the type of FS. Clinicians' recognition of these findings will aid in treatment.