An elusive causal link between epilepsy and vitamin D in children: More questions than answers? A narrative review

Abstract

When discussing childhood epilepsy and children's serum vitamin D status together, the matter becomes complex and intriguing. A long-standing question has been whether there is a causal link between epilepsy itself and the serum vitamin D status: does vitamin D deficiency lead to seizures, or do seizures occur alongside or result in vitamin D deficiency, or is the deficiency caused by anti-seizure medication therapy? Clarifying these questions would significantly enhance our understanding of the relationship between them and improve the treatment and management for childhood epilepsy. This narrative review summarized existing literature on vitamin D and pediatric epilepsy and collected those clinical and non-clinical researches in this field to see if sufficient evidence has accumulated to address these questions. Current evidence revealed that children with epilepsy experienced higher rates of vitamin D deficiency, but whether this stems from the condition itself or its treatment remains uncertain. Both clinical and non-clinical studies suggested vitamin D may help control seizures, but its effective dosing and treatment duration need rigorous clinical validation. This clinical situation indicates that continued attention is needed on this important clinical issue concerning children's health, as well as more efforts and attempts to ultimately clarify these matters.