title: The association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures in childhood.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. dawn.hartfield@capitalhealth.ca
authors.forename: Dawn S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hartfield
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Jerome Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yager
authors.forename: Rhonda J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Rosychuk
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spady
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Craig
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D007501:Iron