Association between iron deficiency anemia and various red cell parameters with febrile convulsions in children of age group 3 to 60 months

Authors

  • Rugmini Kamalammal Department of Pediatrics, Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, B G Nagar, Mandya District 571448, Karnataka, India
  • Balaji M. D. Department of Pediatrics, Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, B G Nagar, Mandya District 571448, Karnataka, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20161038

Keywords:

Febrile convulsion, Iron deficiency anemia, Serum ferritin, MCV, MCHC

Abstract

Background: Febrile seizures are the most common seizures in children. Incidence is around 2-5% among children of age group 3-60 months. There is variable association between febrile convulsions and hematological parameters associated with iron deficiency anemia in children. Iron deficiency is also associated with many of the behavioural disorders in children. Our study compares the various blood indices and their associations with febrile convulsions in children.

Methods: This is a prospective case control study conducted over a period of one year in a tertiary care hospital. Consecutive fifty children with first episode of febrile seizure in the age group of 3 months-60 months admitted in the institution were taken as cases and fifty children with fever due to other causes without seizures were taken as controls. Various blood parameters were compared among these two groups and statistically analyzed for the outcome.

Results: Our study clearly shows that the Hemoglobin level, MCH, MCHC, Serum Ferritin levels does not show any significant differences between the two groups disapproving the theory that iron deficiency anemia is a trigger for febrile seizures.

Conclusions: We concluded that a strong association between iron deficiency anemia and febrile seizures cannot be proven with these results. A study with a larger population is suggested.

References

Varma RR. Febrile seizures. Indian J Pediatr. 2002;69(8):697-700.

Kliegman RM, Stanton BF, Geme JWS, Schor NF, Behrman RE. Nelson textbook of PEDIATRICS. 19th ed. Filladelphia: Elsevier Saunders. 2011.

Bidabadi E, Mashouf M. Association between iron deficiency anemia and first febrile convulsion: A case-control study. Seizure. 2009;18(5):347-51.

Pisacane A, Sansone R, Impagliazzo N, Coppola A, Rolando P, D’Apuzzo A. Iron deficiency anemia and febrile convulsions: case-control study in children under 2 years. BMJ. 1996;313(7053):343.

Kobrinsky NL, Yager JY, Cheang MS, Yatscoff RW, Tenenbein M. Does iron deficiency raise the seizure threshold? J Child Neurol. 1995;10(2):105-9.

Momen AA, Hakimzadeh M. Case-control study of the relationship between anemia and febrile convulsion in children between 9 months to 5 years of age. Scientific Medical Journal of Ahwaz University of Medical Sciences. 2003;1(4):54-50.

Madan N, Rusia U, Sikka M, Sharma S, Shankar N. Developmental and neurophysiologic deficits in iron deficiency in children. Indian J Pediatr. 2011;78:58-64.

Carlson ES, Tkac I, Magid R, O’Connor MB, Andrews NC, Schallert T. Iron is essential for neuron development and memory function in mouse hippocampus.J Nutr. 2009;139:672-9.

Kumari PL, Nair MK, Nair SM, Kailas L, Geetha S. Iron deficiency as a risk factor for simple febrile seizures-a case control study. Indian Pediatr. 2011;49:17-9.

Salehi omran MR, Tamaddoni A, Nasehi MM, Babazadeh H, Alizadeh navaei R. Iron status in febrile seizure: a case-control study. Iran J Child Neurology. 2000:39-42.

Hartfield DS, Tan J, Yager JY, Rosychuk RJ, Spady D, Haines C. The association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures in childhood. Clin pediatr. 2009;48:420-6.

Assessing the iron status of populations: including literature reviews: report of a Joint World Health Organization/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Technical Consultation on the Assessment of Iron Status at the Population Level, Geneva, Switzerland. 2004:63.

Sudhagandhi B, Sundaresan S, William WE, Prema A. Prevalence of anemia in the school children of Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India. Int J Nutr Pharmacol Neurol Dis. 2011;1:184-8.

Mansouri M, Bidabadi E, Sobhani AR. Relation Of Iron Deficiency Anemia with First Febrile Convulsion In 6 month to 5 year old Children. Journal of Medical Faculty Guilan University of Medical Sciences. 2007;60(15):65-73.

Derakhshanfar H, Abaskhanian A, Alimohammadi H, Modanloo KM. Association between iron deficiency anemia and febrile seizure in children. Med Glas (Zenica). 2012;9:239-42.

Yousefichaijan P, Eghbali A, Rafeie M, Sharafkhah M, Zolfi M, Firouzifar M. The relationship between iron deficiency anemia and simple febrile convulsion in children. J Pediatr Neurosci. 2014;9(2).

Waheed N, Butt MA. Iron status: is there a role in febrile seizures? J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2012;24(3-4):128.

Talebian NM, Mosavi GA, Khojasteh MR. Relationship between febrile seizure and anemia. Iran J Pediatr. 2006;16:79-82.

Modaresi M, Mahmoudian T, Yaghini O, Kelishadi R, Golestani H, Tavasoli A. Is Iron Insufficiency Associated with Febrile Sei- zure? Experience in an Iranian Hospital. J Compr Ped. 2012;3(1):21-4.

Daoud AS, Batieha A, Abu Etiesh F, Gharaibeh N, Ajlouni S, Hijazi S. Iron status: a possible risk factor for first febrile seizure. Epilepsia. 2002;43:740-3.

Vaswani RK, Dharaskar PG, Kulkarni S, Ghosh K. Iron deficiency as a risk factor for first febrile seizure. Indian Pediatr. 2010;47:437.

Boshra AT Ahmed. Iron Deficiency as a Risk Factor for Simple Febrile Seizures. Med. J. Cairo Univ. 2013;81(2):51-4.

Downloads

Published

2016-12-28

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles