Serum Vitamin B12 Level of Children and Its Clinical Relationship with Febrile Seizures

Objective: In the present study, our aim was to investigate the correlation between vitamin B12 levels and febrile seizures (FS) in the pediatric population. Method: The study included a total of 104 patients, comprising 50 children who were admitted with FS and 54 healthy children who served as the control group. Demographic characteristics, seizure types, biochemical parameters (glucose, Na, K, Ca, Mg, P), infection markers (C-reactive protein, procalcitonin) and the serum levels of vitamin B12 in the patients were retrospectively examined by reviewing the records in the hospital database. Results: Demographic parameters were similar between groups. The median age of the children in the FS group was 21.6±11.6 months. The mean temperature of the patients measured by tympanic thermometer during the seizure was 38.3±0.29, 76% of the patients presented with simple FS, 22% with complex FS. In the etiology, upper respiratory tract infections was defined as the most common (72%) cause. The serum vitamin B12, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and platelet values of the febrile convulsion group were statistically lower than the control group. Conclusion: In the course of our research, we observed a significant decrease in vitamin B12 levels among the FS group compared to the control group. These findings suggest that low levels of vitamin B12 may contribute to an elevated risk of FS.