Study of iron deficiency anemia in children with febrile seizures

Abstract

Objective Our aim was to study the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children with febrile seizures (FS). Background FS are the most common type of seizures in children. The relationship between IDA and FS has been examined in several studies with conflicting results. Patients and methods This prospective, case–control study was conducted on 60 children aged 6 months to 5 years who attended the Outpatient Clinics and Emergency Department of Ashmoon Hospital and Menoufia University Hospitals during the period from December 2014 to June 2015. The children were categorized into two groups: case and control groups. The case group included 40 patients and the control group included 20 children. Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular Hb, mean corpuscular Hb concentration, serum iron, serum ferritin, total iron-binding capacity, and transferring saturation were assessed for the two groups. Results A total of 21 (52.5%) children in the case group had IDA compared with four (20%) in the control group, which was statistically significant (P Conclusion Based on the result of this study, iron deficiency could be an important risk factor for development of febrile convulsion. Evaluation of iron status is encouraged to be performed in children with FS.