Iron Deficiency Anemia in Children with Febrile Seizures

Abstract

Aim: To determine the frequency of iron deficiency anemia in children presenting with febrile seizures. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was conducted on 90 patients at department of Pediatrics, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad. Children with febrile seizures of both genders and with age range from 6 months to 5 years were included. Children with intracranial infection, metabolic disorders, and thalassemia were excluded. The recorded data from the children were age, gender, hemoglobin level, red cells distribution width, serum ferritin and iron deficiency anemia. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Iron deficiency anemia was stratified by age and gender to see effect modification by using Chi-square test at P ≤ 0.05 to be level of significance. Results: The mean age and hemoglobin were 1.44 ± 0.988 years and 10.33 ± 2.44 g/dl respectively. The males were 53(58.9%) and females were 37 (41.1%). Most of the children hemoglobin level was less than 10 g/dl (n=51, 56.7%). Fifty children have red cells distribution width of greater or equal to 16% (56.7%). The serum ferritin was less than or equal to 7 ng/ml in 50(55.6%) and greater than 7 ng/ml in 40(44.4%) cases. Iron deficiency anemia was present in 53(58.9%). The association of iron deficiency anemia in febrile seizure with age (P=0.359) and gender (P=0.598) was not statistically significant. Conclusion: More than half of the children affected by febrile seizure have iron deficiency anemia