A Prospective Incidence Study of Febrile Convulsions

ABSTRACT. A prospective epidemiological study of febrile convulsions (FC) was performed during a 20‐month period. 128 children with FCs were identified. The annual first attendance rate and annual incidence rate were 500/100 000 and 460/100 000 respectively, in the age group 0–4 years. The cumulative incidence was 4.1%. FCs were more common among boys, with a male to female ratio of 1.72 to 1. The median and mean age for first FC was for boys 16 and 19.9 months respectively, and for girls 18 and 19.7 months respectively. During an average follow‐up period of 20 months, 18% had another FC and 10% had two or more FCs. 8.6% had an initial complicated FC. Four children had FCs within two weeks after being vaccinated by combined vaccine against morbilli, rubella and parotitis. Three of these had earlier had an FC.

[1]  Josemir W Sander,et al.  Incidence and prevalence studies in epilepsy and their methodological problems: a review. , 1987, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[2]  J. Doerfer,et al.  An epidemiologic study of febrile seizures and epilepsy in children , 1987, Epilepsy Research.

[3]  F. Knudsen,et al.  Recurrence risk after first febrile seizure and effect of short term diazepam prophylaxis. , 1985, Archives of disease in childhood.

[4]  J. Golding,et al.  Febrile convulsions in a national cohort followed up from birth. I--Prevalence and recurrence in the first five years of life. , 1985, British medical journal.

[5]  T. Tsuboi.  Epidemiology of febrile and afebrile convulsions in children in Japan , 1984, Neurology.

[6]  E. Ross,et al.  Are all born equal? Incidence of febrile convulsions by season of birth. , 1982, British medical journal.

[7]  R. Carpenter,et al.  Are all born equal? Incidence of febrile convulsions by seasons of birth. , 1982, British medical journal.

[8]  S. Blom,et al.  Simple febrile convulsions. A prospective incidence study and an evaluation of investigations initially needed. , 1980, Neuropadiatrie.

[9]  W. Hauser,et al.  The risk of epilepsy following febrile convulsions , 1979, Neurology.

[10]  S. Blom,et al.  Incidence of Epilepsy in Children: A Follow‐up Study Three Years After the First Seizure , 1978, Epilepsia.

[11]  J. Ellenberg,et al.  Prognosis in children with febrile seizures. , 1978, Pediatrics.

[12]  P. Harker.  Primary immunisation and febrile convulsions in Oxford 1972-5. , 1977, British medical journal.

[13]  S. Wallace.  Spontaneous fits after convulsions with fever. , 1977, Archives of disease in childhood.

[14]  S. Wolf,et al.  The value of phenobarbital in the child who has had a single febrile seizure: a controlled prospective study. , 1977, Pediatrics.

[15]  W. Hauser,et al.  The Epidemiology of Epilepsy in Rochester, Minnesota, 1935 Through 1967 , 1975, Epilepsia.

[16]  E. Ross.  Convulsive disorders in British children. , 1973, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine.

[17]  J. Brody,et al.  Convulsions among the Chamorro people of Guam, Mariana islands. I. Seizure disorders. , 1972, American journal of epidemiology.

[18]  J. Brody,et al.  Convulsions among the Chamorro people of Guam, Mariana islands. II. Febrile convulsions. , 1972, American journal of epidemiology.

[19]  J. Yerushalmy,et al.  Studies on Convulsive Disorders in Young Children: I. Incidence of Febrile and Nonfebrile Convulsions by Age and Other Factors , 1969, Pediatric Research.

[20]  M. Lennox-Buchthal,et al.  Longitudinal EEG and clinical study of children with febrile convulsions. , 1968, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[21]  S. Schuman,et al.  Febrile Convulsions in Families , 1966, Clinical pediatrics.

[22]  S. W. Wright.  The child with febrile seizures. , 1987, American family physician.