ASSOCIATION OF IRON STATUS WITH FEBRILE SEIZURES

Objective: to investigate the relationship of iron status and febrile seizures (FS).Methodology: This case control study was conducted at Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from January 2006 to January 2007.Indicators of iron deficiency including hemoglobin, Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), and plasma ferritin levels (FL) were prospectively studied in 60 children with first febrile seizures compared with 60 controls with febrile illness without convulsions.Results: In the FS group, the mean hemoglobin was 8.96±1.6 gm/dL, the mean MCV was 64.9± 8.39 fL, mean MCH was 21.36±3.65 pg and mean FL were 4.4±2.44 ng/dL. In the control group the mean hemoglobin was 10.9±1.79 gm/dL, the mean MCV was 74.98±8.49 fL, MCH was 26.55±4.59 pg and mean FL were 14.87±6.47 ng/dL (p=0.005). In the FS group, 48 (80%) children had low hemoglobin 10 gm/dL, 45 (75%) had a low MCV 70 fL, 47 (78.3%) had a low MCH 24 pg and 48 (80%) had a low FL 10 ng/dL. In the control group, 18 (30%) children had low hemoglobin 10 gm/dL, 17 (28.3%) had a low MCV 70 fL, 18 (30.3%) had a low MCH 24 pg and 19 (31.7%) had a low FL of 10 ng/dL (p 0.005).Mean peak temperature was 38.35 ±0.40 C0 38.12 ± 0.41 C0 in FS group and controls respectively (p 0.005).Conclusion: Hemoglobin, MCV, MCH, and plasma FL were significantly lower in children with febrile seizures than in control group suggesting a possible role for iron deficiency in febrile seizures.