An observational study on anaemia in children admitted to a tertiary teaching hospital with first episode of febrile seizures

ABSTRACT

Background: The association between anaemia and iron deficiency anaemia with febrile seizures is still not very well understood. The purpose of this study was to describe the occurrence of anaemia in children admitted with first episode of febrile seizures.Methods: This was a hospital based prospective study conducted at Central Referral Hospital, Gangtok, Sikkim, India from December 2012 to May 2014 on 50 children in the age group of 6 to 60 months admitted with first episode of febrile seizures. Detailed history and physical examination were performed and findings recorded and complete blood count, serum electrolytes and random blood sugar were done in all children. Mentzer Index was calculated from the haematological data.Results: The mean age in this study was 24.88'13.22 months. 74% of the cases were males. Twenty-eight children (56%) had anaemia out of which twenty-seven had Iron deficiency anaemia. The statistical analysis of qualitative data using Chi-square test with Yate's correction revealed no statistically significant difference between number of children with anaemia and no anaemia (p value=0.1493) and also between number of children with Iron deficiency anaemia and children with no Iron deficiency anaemia (p value=0.4478).Conclusions: This study did not reveal a higher occurrence of anaemia as well as iron deficiency anaemia in children admitted with first episode of febrile seizures.