Serum Zinc Level in Children With Febrile Convulsion

Abstract

Background: Febrile seizures (FS) are the most common form of convulsion in children with the aged between 6 months to 5 years. Different studies have shown that reduction of zinc leads to the incidence of FS in children. This study was conducted with the goal of examination of the zinc level in the patients with FS. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 90 children in three equal groups of children with febrile seizures, febrile children without febrile seizures (FS) and healthy children. In order to examine the zinc level blood samples were taken of all subjects and the zinc level of these patients was determined. The data was analyzed using the SPSS-16 statistical software and by descriptive statistical tests and ANOVA. Results: Forty three male (47.2%) and 47 female children (52.8%) with the average age of 2.43±1.23 years were examined. The three groups had no significant difference in terms of age and sex. The average of zinc level in the patients with FS was 56.8±52.7 µg/dL and it was 96.1±53.4 µg/dL in the febrile children without FS and 108±28 µg/dL in the healthy control group. According to ANOVA test, there was a significant difference between the three groups in terms of the zinc level (p=0.01). Conclusion: The low serum zinc level in the group of patients with FS compared with two other groups can indicate the existence of a relationship between the serum zinc level and development of FS in children aged between 6 months and 5 years.