Febrile Convulsion among Hospitalized Children Aged Six Months to Five Years and Its Association With Haemoglobin Electrophoretic Pattern

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Febrile convulsion and sickle cell disease are common in tropical countriesand both are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Worldwide, Nigeria has thehighest prevalence of sickle cell disease. However, there is a dearth of knowledge on thehaemoglobin electrophoresis in patients with febrile convulsions.METHODS: This was a hospital based, descriptive, cross-sectional study of the relationshipbetween haemoglobin genotype and febrile convulsion at the University of Ilorin TeachingHospital over a period of 12 months. A self-designed pretested questionnaire was administeredon the subjects, and necessary examinations and investigations were conducted.RESULTS: Of a total of 1675 children admitted into the emergency paediatric unit during thestudy period, children aged 6 months–5 years that presented with febrile convulsions were167(10%) . Of this, 1,212 were aged 6 months-5 years. Thus, the age specific, hospital-basedprevalence was 13.8%. The M:F was 1.1:1. Their Haemoglobin genotype distribution was AA131(78.4%), AS 23(13.8%), AC 6(3.6%), SS 6(3.6%), and 1(0.6%) SC. The mean age of thesickle cell disease patients was higher at 46.0±13.5 months compared to 29.2±15.4 months in thenon-sickle cell disease patients (p=0.005). The mean packed cell volume in subjects with sicklecell anaemia was 8.8±1.5%; the only case of haemoglobin SC had packed cell volume of 20%,while the non-sickle cell disease patients had a normal PCV. Malaria was present in 80.4% ofthem.CONCLUSION: Febrile convulsion remains a common cause of hospitalisation. It isuncommon in haemoglobin SS where severe anaemia is always an accompanying derangement.The packed cell volume is nearly normal in children with normal haemoglobin genotype.