Zinc Status and Febrile Seizures: Results from a Cross-sectional Study

Objective To estimate the serum zinc levels in children under the age of 5 years with febrile seizures and febrile children without seizures Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional study from 2017 to 2018, 40 children with febrile seizures (simple and complex) were taken as cases. Forty age- and sex-matched febrile children without convulsions were recruited as controls. Serum zinc estimates were analyzed using a spectrophotometer (Biolis 50i–Autoanalyzer). Statistical Analysis The demographic variables and serum zinc estimates were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test. The odds ratio was used to calculate the association of zinc deficiency in febrile seizures; 5% level of significance was considered. Results The mean serum concentrations of zinc in the cases and controls were 83.8 ± 33.1 μg/dL and 116.3 ± 30.3 μg/dL, respectively ( p = 0.002). Hypozincemia defined by “a serum zinc level of less than 63 μg/dL” was found in 12 (30%) cases and 2(5%) controls with an odds ratio of 8:1. Conclusion Children with febrile seizures had significantly reduced concentrations of zinc in the serum.