title: Early onset epilepsy is associated with increased mortality: a population-based study.
abstract: We examined mortality in early onset (age<12 months) epilepsy in a population-based group of children. Children with early onset epilepsy were significantly more likely to die (case fatality, CF 8/60 versus 8/407, p<0.001; mortality rate, MR 14.5/1000 versus 2/1000 person years; standardized mortality ratio, SMR 22.25 versus 5.67). Mortality was greater in children with malignant neonatal (age<1 month) epilepsy (CF 4/12 versus 12/450, p<0.001; MR 54/1000 person years versus 2.7/1000 person year; SMR 46.55 versus 7.22). Given that only 1/8 early onset epilepsy deaths was seizure-related, mortality appears to be more affected by underlying etiology.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. briandmoseley@gmail.com
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Moseley
authors.forename: Elaine C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Wirrell
authors.forename: Lily C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wong-Kisiel
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nickels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018672:Community Health Planning; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Early onset epilepsy; Mortality; Neonatal onset epilepsy; Pediatric epilepsy