The epidemiology of epilepsy in children in the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

To study the incidence of epilepsy in children in the Republic of Belarus based on the data of the Republican Centre for disease control. Statistical analysis of the incidence and morbidity of epilepsy in children and adolescents was performed. Based on this analysis, the contribution of epilepsy in the neurologic morbidity in childhood was analyzed. The morbidity and incidence of epilepsy in children averaged 0.35 and 2.4 per 1000 of the child population, respectively, over the last 6 years (2009-2014). The peak incidence of primary epilepsy is between the ages 1-4 years (0.43 per 1000 population for 12 years (2003-2014), of incidence of epilepsy among children, aged 0-17 years, are stable with no significant fluctuations for the last 6 years (2009-2014). The proportion of epilepsy in the structure of neurological disorders (9.51%) remained unchanged. In the period 2003-2014, general incidence of epilepsy among children, aged 5-9 years, has increased from 2.2 to 2.6 per 1000 child population (p<0.05) and from 2.5 to 3.8 (p<0.05) in children, aged 15-18 years, with no changes in the morbidity.