title: Febrile Convulsion among Hospitalized Children Aged Six Months to Five Years and Its Association With Haemoglobin Electrophoretic Pattern.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Febrile convulsion and sickle cell disease are common in tropical countries and both are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Worldwide, Nigeria has the highest prevalence of sickle cell disease. However, there is a dearth of knowledge on the haemoglobin electrophoresis in patients with febrile convulsions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a hospital based, descriptive, cross-sectional study of the relationship between haemoglobin genotype and febrile convulsion at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital over a period of 12 months. A self-designed pretested questionnaire was administered on the subjects, and necessary examinations and investigations were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 1675 children admitted into the emergency paediatric unit during the study period, children aged 6 months-5 years that presented with febrile convulsions were 167(10%). Of this, 1,212 were aged 6 months-5 years. Thus, the age specific, hospital-based prevalence was 13.8%. The M:F was 1.1:1. Their Haemoglobin genotype distribution was AA 131(78.4%), AS 23(13.8%), AC 6(3.6%), SS 6(3.6%), and 1(0.6%) SC. The mean age of the sickle cell disease patients was higher at 46.0±13.5 months compared to 29.2±15.4 months in the non-sickle cell disease patients (p=0.005). The mean packed cell volume in subjects with sickle cell anaemia was 8.8±1.5%; the only case of haemoglobin SC had packed cell volume of 20%, while the non-sickle cell disease patients had a normal PCV. Malaria was present in 80.4% of them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Febrile convulsion remains a common cause of hospitalisation. It is uncommon in haemoglobin SS where severe anaemia is always an accompanying derangement. The packed cell volume is nearly normal in children with normal haemoglobin genotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adeboye
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ojuawo
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adeniyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ibraheem
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Amiwero
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000235:genetics*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins
keywords: Febrile Convulsion; Malaria; children; haemoglobin genotype