Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
A matched case control study was conducted over 6 months period from the 1st of November 1999 to 30th of April 2000 at the maternity and children hospital in Ramadi city with the aim of determining the risk factors that might lead to development of febrile seizures.
METHODS:
One hundred patients with febrile seizures admitted to the causality department, aged 6-60 months were matched with another one hundred child having fever but without seizure with the same age range, attending the same hospital during the same period.
RESULTS:
The mean age and standard deviation for cases was 25.8±15.19 months and for control was 29.9 ± 18.5 months .sixty four percent has febrile seizure for the first time and 36 %had recurrent febrile seizures. The mean age and standard deviation for the first FSs was 23.54± 12.8 months and for recurrent FSs was 29.83 ± 12.5 months. This was statistically not significant. The majority of the cases were between 12 -24 months with a peak at the age of 18 -19 months. Respiratory infections were not found to be a risk factor for FSs when compared with control.
CONCLUSION:
Male sex, degree of temperature on admission, presence of family history or epilepsy, developmental delay, anemia and admission to neonatal care unite were found to a significant risk factor for occurrence of febrile seizures. Patients are susceptible to develop another attack of seizure at a lower temperature after their first attack.