The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures

Association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures
Association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures
Objective

The relationship between iron status and febrile seizures has been examined in various settings, mainly in the Developing World, with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate any association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures (FS) in European children aged 6–60 months.

Design

Prospective, case–control study.

Setting

Greek population in Thessaloniki.

Patients

50 patients with febrile seizures (cases) and 50 controls (children presenting with fever, without seizures).

Interventions

None.

Main outcome measures

Haematologic parameters (haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, red cell distribution width), plasma iron, total iron-binding capacity, plasma ferritin, transferrin saturation and soluble transferrin receptors were compared in cases and controls.

Results

Plasma ferritin was lower (median [range]: 42.8 (3–285.7) vs 58.3 (21.4–195.3 ng/ml; p = 0.02) and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) higher (mean [Standard Deviation] 267 [58.9] vs 243 [58.45] ?g/dl, p = 0.04) in cases than in controls. Results were similar for 12 complex FS cases (ferritin 30 (3–121 vs 89 (41.8–141.5 ng/lL; TIBC 292.92 [68.0] vs 232.08 [36.27] ?g/dL). Iron deficiency, defined as ferritin <30 ng/ml, was more frequent in cases (24%) than controls (4%; p = 0.004). Ferritin was lower and TIBC higher in 18 with previous seizures than in 32 with a first seizure although haemoglobin and mean cell haemoglobin concentration were higher.

Conclusions

European children with febrile seizures have lower Ferritin than those with fever alone, and iron deficiency, but not anaemia, is associated with recurrence. Iron status screening should be considered as routine for children presenting with or at high risk for febrile seizures.
iron deficiency, anaemia, febrile seizures
1090-3798
1-6
Papageorgiou, Valia
b1a48192-376c-48e4-9ba6-182be9881e57
Vargiami, Euthymia
479dc55e-a851-4eab-9af4-dbc17db95cc4
Kontopoulos, Eleutherios
6f87e580-0c02-4777-a542-f4f223e5dd33
Kardaras, Panagiotis
bec44274-6d24-4338-b31e-81df8582873f
Economou, Marina
56e72a65-6350-44d7-84c9-8e71de7c7d2b
Athanassiou-Mataxa, Miranta
d633ce36-857d-43a8-971e-34d1a4ccb3d1
Kirkham, Fenella
1dfbc0d5-aebe-4439-9fb2-dac6503bcd58
Zafeiriou, Dimitrios I.
6311a98f-008c-4a32-a414-9b37c088d737
Papageorgiou, Valia
b1a48192-376c-48e4-9ba6-182be9881e57
Vargiami, Euthymia
479dc55e-a851-4eab-9af4-dbc17db95cc4
Kontopoulos, Eleutherios
6f87e580-0c02-4777-a542-f4f223e5dd33
Kardaras, Panagiotis
bec44274-6d24-4338-b31e-81df8582873f
Economou, Marina
56e72a65-6350-44d7-84c9-8e71de7c7d2b
Athanassiou-Mataxa, Miranta
d633ce36-857d-43a8-971e-34d1a4ccb3d1
Kirkham, Fenella
1dfbc0d5-aebe-4439-9fb2-dac6503bcd58
Zafeiriou, Dimitrios I.
6311a98f-008c-4a32-a414-9b37c088d737

Papageorgiou, Valia, Vargiami, Euthymia, Kontopoulos, Eleutherios, Kardaras, Panagiotis, Economou, Marina, Athanassiou-Mataxa, Miranta, Kirkham, Fenella and Zafeiriou, Dimitrios I. (2015) Association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures. European Journal of Paediatric Neurology, 1-6. (doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2015.05.009).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective

The relationship between iron status and febrile seizures has been examined in various settings, mainly in the Developing World, with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate any association between iron deficiency and febrile seizures (FS) in European children aged 6–60 months.

Design

Prospective, case–control study.

Setting

Greek population in Thessaloniki.

Patients

50 patients with febrile seizures (cases) and 50 controls (children presenting with fever, without seizures).

Interventions

None.

Main outcome measures

Haematologic parameters (haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, red cell distribution width), plasma iron, total iron-binding capacity, plasma ferritin, transferrin saturation and soluble transferrin receptors were compared in cases and controls.

Results

Plasma ferritin was lower (median [range]: 42.8 (3–285.7) vs 58.3 (21.4–195.3 ng/ml; p = 0.02) and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) higher (mean [Standard Deviation] 267 [58.9] vs 243 [58.45] ?g/dl, p = 0.04) in cases than in controls. Results were similar for 12 complex FS cases (ferritin 30 (3–121 vs 89 (41.8–141.5 ng/lL; TIBC 292.92 [68.0] vs 232.08 [36.27] ?g/dL). Iron deficiency, defined as ferritin <30 ng/ml, was more frequent in cases (24%) than controls (4%; p = 0.004). Ferritin was lower and TIBC higher in 18 with previous seizures than in 32 with a first seizure although haemoglobin and mean cell haemoglobin concentration were higher.

Conclusions

European children with febrile seizures have lower Ferritin than those with fever alone, and iron deficiency, but not anaemia, is associated with recurrence. Iron status screening should be considered as routine for children presenting with or at high risk for febrile seizures.

Text
Papgeorgiou_Association.pdf - Accepted Manuscript
Download (627kB)

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 25 May 2015
e-pub ahead of print date: 12 June 2015
Keywords: iron deficiency, anaemia, febrile seizures
Organisations: Clinical & Experimental Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 378063
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/378063
ISSN: 1090-3798
PURE UUID: ba0138be-c716-465a-a32c-c3e416e5c4fb
ORCID for Fenella Kirkham: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2443-7958

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 24 Jun 2015 13:34
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:10

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Valia Papageorgiou
Author: Euthymia Vargiami
Author: Eleutherios Kontopoulos
Author: Panagiotis Kardaras
Author: Marina Economou
Author: Miranta Athanassiou-Mataxa
Author: Fenella Kirkham ORCID iD
Author: Dimitrios I. Zafeiriou

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×