Assessment of risk factors for recurrence of febrile convulsion and subsequent epilepsy in children with febrile seizures

Abstract

Aim: Febrile seizure (FS) is the most common type of convulsion seen in children, and the prognosis for FSs is quite good. However, families and physicians continue to be concerned about the risk of recurrences and development of epilepsy in children in the future. In this study, we aimed to determine the demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of children with FSs and risk factors for FS recurrence and epilepsy, as well as to contribute to the accumulation of knowledge on this subject.

Material and Methods: The study included 159 patients who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of FS. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were recorded from the patient? files. These patients were followed up for at least three years after discharge.

Results: The mean age of the children with FS was 23.9 t 16.5 months, and the male/female ratio was 1.14/1. The first FS in children was most frequently observed at under 2 years of age (90.6%). Of the 159 cases, 142 were simple FSs and 17 were complex FSs. Recurrence was present in 60 of the patients (37.7%). A significant relationship was revealed between the presence of F5s in families and these recurrences. Epilepsy developed in eight patients (5%). There was a significant relationship between the development of epilepsy and complex FSs and the presence of epilepsy in patients' families.

Discussion: The results of our study show that follow-up of patients with FS seems to be important because of its high recurrence rate and the high risk of epilepsy compared to the general population.