The relationship of hypocalcemic convulsions related to nutritional rickets with age, gender, season, and serum phosphorus levels

Objective: To retrospectively evaluate the epidemiccharacteristics of children with hypocalcemicconvulsion related to nutritional rickets in theprovince of Kars, Turkey.Methods: In this study, clinical and laboratoryfindings of 93 infants, aged between 1-24 months,who were diagnosed as hypocalcemic convulsiveresulting from nutritional rickets between January2000 and June 2005 in Kars Maternity and ChildHospital, were investigated. The data of the caseswith hypocalcemic convulsive rickets were collectedfrom the hospital archive file.Results: The mean and median ages of the caseswere 8.93 and 6 (1-24) months, and 66 (71%)were male. Most of the patients were admitted tohospital in February and March, whereas 46% wereadmitted in winter, 44% in spring, 8% in autumn,and 2% in summertime. Serum calcium levels of allcases were low (mean: 5.4 ± 0.84 mg/dl) and serumalkaline phosphate levels were high (mean: 1286 ±528 IU/L), while serum phosphorus levels were lowin 19 (20.4%), high in 8 (8.6%), and normal in 66(71%) patients.Conclusion: While evaluating the causes ofconvulsion, hypocalcemic convulsion related tonutritional rickets should be considered among thecauses as well as age, gender, and season of the year,and diagnosis, and treatment should be initiatedwithout delay. In addition, serum phosphoruslevel should also be questioned in the diagnosis ofnutritional rickets.