Abstracts

Only few pre-, peri- and neonatal risk factors are recognized for febrile seizure. In some studies febrile seizures are shown to be associated with preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), hyperbilirubinemia, long neonatal intensive care, sepsis and low birth weight. The aim of our study was to evaluate risk factors for febrile seizures in the study group of children including both preterm and term children., Pre-, peri- and neonatal data of 60 prospectively followed children born at or before 32 weeks of gestation, and of 60 matched term controls from the two year birth cohort were available from earlier phases of the study. Seizure data were obtained from questionnaires completed by parents, and from hospital records and parent interviews. Risk factor analysis was done by logistic regression., Febrile seizures were found in 8 /60 (13%) children born at [le] 32 weeks of gestation and in 3/60 (5%) children born at term. Fourteen of 120 children (12%) were born to pre-eclamptic mothers, 30/120 children (25%) were small for gestational age (SGA), 48 children (40 %) had a neonatal intensive care longer than 28 days; neonatal sepsis was found in 4/120 (3%) , respiratory or other infections during neonatal period in 26/120 (22%) and RDS in 30/120 children (25%). Risk for febrile seizures was 2.9 (CI 0.74-11.619) in the children born preterm compared to the term children. Risk for febrile seizures in offsprings of mothers with pre-eclampsia was low (OR 0.7, CI 0.09-6.25). Respectively, risk for febrile seizures in SGA children was low (OR 1.1, CI 0.28-4.60). Risk for febrile seizures in RDS children (OR 2.8, CI 0.79-9.95) and in children who had long neonatal intensive care (OR 2.9, CI 0.80-10.52) was parralel. Sepsis and other infections during neonatal period and later febrile seizures were not encountered in the same children., Rate of febrile seizures was increased in children born preterm. Pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth retardation, sepsis or other neonatal infections were not risk factors for febrile seizures. However, the size of the study group sets its own limitations in evaluations of risks.,