The Prevalence of Febrile Seizure and Associated Factors Among Turkish Children

Abstract

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of febrile seizure (FS) in Eskisehir province, Turkey. Methods: The survey was conducted by family physicians and involved two steps. In the first step of research, 1,000 randomly selected 0 - 6 years old children were invited to come to their family health centers. A specific questionnaire was administered to the parents during face to face sessions. The children who had had a history of FS were referred to the university hospital where detailed medical histories were taken and neurological examinations were conducted. Results: The prevalence of FS was calculated to be 2.57%. The ratio of male to female was 1 : 1. The relationships between a positive history of FS and study variables were analyzed through logistic regression. It was found that attendance to day care center affects the prevalence of FS, with the risk of FS being 19.35 times higher if child attends to day care. Also familial history of FS and consanguinity of parents increase the risk that their children will have FS 7.52 and 13.1 times higher, respectively. Conclusions: FS is still a frequent problem in pediatric practice. Although the prevalence of FS might vary according to the methodology of study, this present study found that the prevalence of FS was 2.57% among Turkish children. Int J Clin Pediatr. 2014;3(1):1-4 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/ijcp134w