Comparison of Serum Zinc Levels among Children with Simple Febrile Seizure and Control Group: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE: Several factors are involved in the etiology of febrile seizure (FS), among them is zinc (Zn), which has been discussed in various studies. The present systematic review compares Zn levels in children with FS and a control group. MATERIALS & METHODS: We searched keywords of febrile seizure, febrile convulsion, children, childhood, fever, trace elements, risk factor, predisposing, zinc, Zn, and epilepsy in the following databases: SCOPUS, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The quality of research papers was assessed using a checklist. Data was extracted from primary studies based on demographic variables and amounts of Zn in case and control groups. RESULTS: Twenty primary studies were entered in the present study. Of which, eighteen studies, reported that Zn serum levels were significantly lower in the case group (patients with FS) than the control group. CONCLUSION: The present systematic review indicated that Zn is one factor for predicting FS. A low level of this element among children can be regarded as a contributing factor for FS, a conclusion with a high consensus among different studies carried out in different parts of the world.