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Epilepsy and associated handicaps in a 1 year birth cohort in northern Finland
Insights
This study followed 12,058 children in Finland, finding an epilepsy incidence of 17.3 per 1000 by age 14. Many children with epilepsy also had other handicapping conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder with varying incidence rates globally.
- Longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding the cumulative incidence and long-term outcomes of childhood epilepsy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the cumulative incidence of epilepsy in a defined birth cohort up to age 14.
- To investigate the types of epilepsy and the prevalence of associated handicapping conditions in children with epilepsy.
Main Methods:
- A prospective birth cohort study of 12,058 infants born in Northern Finland in 1966.
- Data collection included questionnaires, examinations, and national registers of hospital admissions and social services up to age 14.
Main Results:
- The cumulative incidence of epilepsy by age 14 was 17.3 per 1000 children.
- Primary generalized epilepsy accounted for 63% of cases, with partial seizures in 37%.
- 35.5% of children with epilepsy had at least one additional handicapping condition, most commonly mental retardation (28%) and cerebral palsy (16%).
Conclusions:
- The study highlights a high cumulative incidence of epilepsy in this Finnish cohort, likely due to comprehensive case ascertainment.
- Epilepsy frequently co-occurs with other developmental disabilities, impacting educational outcomes.
- Findings underscore the importance of early identification and management of epilepsy and associated conditions in children.
Abstract:
A 1 year birth cohort in the provinces of Oulu and Lapland in the Northern part of Finland consisted of 12058 live-born infants, this being 96% of all children born in 1966 in this area. Information on morbidity up to the age of 14 years was collected prospectively by means of questionnaires, special examinations and from national and regional registers of hospital admissions and social services contacts. The total number of children with epilepsy, defined as the occurrence of at least one afebrile epileptic seizure, was 208, 113 boys and 95 girls. The cumulative incidences for epilepsy up to the age of 14 years was 17.3 per 1000. Primary generalised epilepsy was present in 63% and partial seizures in 37%. At least one additional handicapping condition, such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and visual or auditory defect was present in 74 children (35.5%). Mental retardation was the most frequent additional handicap, being present in 28%, whereas 16% of the children had cerebral palsy. A total of 75% of the children were able to attend an ordinary school. The high frequency of epilepsy in this study, as compared to other studies, is explained by the cumulative registration of the cases and a high degree of ascertainment of cases with epilepsy.