Risk factors of first febrile seizure

Abstract EN

Objectives : To determine the risk factors of first febrile seizure due to which is a quite common problem, over all of the hospitalized children of Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan during the year 2001.

Patients and Methods : This prospective case control study was performed over 60 children with first febrile seizure as study group and 120 children with fever but without seizures as the control group.

Two groups were matched regarding their age, sex and other background conditions.

Risk factors such as family history of febrile seizure, epilepsy, developmental delay, perinatal disturbances and underlying febrile disease in two groups were recorded.

Results were analyzed by fisher's exact test.

Results : One hundred and eight (60%) of the cases were male and 72 (40%) were female.

78% of the cases with febrile seizure were less than 3 years old.

Most important risk factors of the study group were positive family history of febrile seizure (55%), family history of epilepsy (10%), perinatal disturbances (28%) and developmental delay (50%).

Conclusion : First febrile seizure in children less than 3 years old with positive family history of febrile seizure and epilepsy, developmental delay and perinatal disturbances is more common and so effective management for control of fever should be considered in children with these risk factors.