Serum Zinc Level in Children Presenting with Febrile Seizures

FEBRILE SEIZURES ARE SEIZURES THAT OCCUR BETWEEN THE AGE OF 6 AND 60 MONTHS WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 38 DEGREE CELSIUS OR HIGHER THAT ARE NOT AS A RESULT OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM INFECTIONS, OR ANY METABOLIC IMBALANCE, AND THAT OCCURS IN ABSENCE OF HISTORY OF PRIOR AFEBRILE SEIZURES. FEBRILE CONVULSIONS ARE MOST COMMON TYPE OF SEIZURES IN CHILDREN. AS ZINC IS MAJOR ELEMENT OF SOME ENZYMES, IT TENDS TO PLAY IMPORTANT ROLE IN CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND CAN HAVE SOME AFFECT ON INHIBITORY MECHANISM OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. ZINC ACTS AS COFACTOR OF GLUTAMIC ACID CARBOXYLASE, AN ENZYME WHICH PROTECTS THE MECHANISM OF GABA IN CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. THIS IS A CASE CONTROL STUDY DONE TO STUDY CLINICO-DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF FEBRILE SEIZURES IN CHILDREN AND TO ASSESS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERUM ZINC LEVELS AND OCCURRENCE OF FEVER.