The association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures in childhood.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures in a large cohort of children aged 6 to 36 months.


METHODS
A retrospective case control study with 361 patients who presented with febrile seizures to the emergency department and 390 otherwise healthy controls who presented with a febrile illness to the emergency department were reviewed to determine iron status using the MCV, RDW, and hemoglobin.


RESULTS
A total of 9% of cases had iron deficiency (ID) and 6% had iron deficiency anemia (IDA), compared to 5% and 4% of controls respectively. The conditional logistic regression odds ratio for ID in patients with febrile seizures was 1.84 (95% CI, 1.02-3.31).


CONCLUSIONS
Children with febrile seizures were almost twice as likely to be iron deficient as those with febrile illness alone. The results suggest that screening for ID should be considered in children presenting with febrile seizure.
Hartfield
Dawn S
DS
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. dawn.hartfield@capitalhealth.ca
Tan
Jonathan
J
Yager
Jerome Y
JY
Rosychuk
Rhonda J
RJ
Spady
Don
D
Haines
Christina
C
Craig
William R
WR
D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
D007501:Iron