Sarcouncil Journal of Medical Series

Abstract: Febrile seizures (FS) are one of the most frequently seen and significant paediatric neurological emergencies and mainly affect children between 6 months and 5 years. In this age group, iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is very common, can result in impaired central nervous system metabolism, and decreases seizure threshold during febrile illnesses. This study aimed to establish IDA as a serious risk factor for pediatric febrile seizures. Additionally, 120 children who have febrile seizures versus 132 febrile children who had no seizures (controls) participated in a cross-sectional study. Serum ferritin levels and full blood count indices were assessed to measure iron status. All the data were gathered from different hospitals in Iraq during the period from March 2025 to March 2026. The statistical analysis results were made and analyzed by SPSS Version 26.0. Children in the FS group had significantly lower levels of hemoglobin (9.04 ± 1.49 vs. 10.58 ± 1.65 g/dL) and lower levels of serum ferritin (11.72 ± 9.71 vs. 74.81 ± 53.62 ng/mL) than controls according to patients' clinical outcomes. There was significantly higher IDA prevalence in the FS cases (89.2%) compared with controls (53.0%). Subgroup analysis for IDA-positive cases showed significantly lower hemoglobin, MCV, and ferritin levels compared to non-IDA cases in the FS cohort. Moreover, iron supplementation history was significantly lower in the FS group (9.2% vs. 38.6%). In summary, it is strongly suspected that IDA is a risk factor for febrile seizures in young children. Cases had significant hemoglobin and ferritin deficiency, suggesting that iron deficiency might be involved in neurological hyperexcitability during febrile episodes.