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Abstract children, and epilepsy in up to 1% of children and adolescents. (Dulac et al., 2013). Febrile convulsion is the most common convulsive disorder in children which occurs in 2-5 % of them. This seizure happens in children aged between 6 months and 5 years, with a core temperature higher than 38 ˚C without a central nervous system infection or an acute brain insult. (Amirsalari et al., 2010). Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrition-related problems in the world, with an appraised 5 billion people (including the human infants especially between 6 and 24 months of age) so afflicted. In developing countries, 46–66% of the children under the age of four are anemic, half having iron deficiency anemia. (Amirsalari et al., 2010). Iron deficiency anemia and febrile seizures are two common diseases in children worldwide as well as in our country. Iron insufficiency is known to cause neurological symptoms like behavioral changes, poor attention span and learning deficits in children. Therefore, it may also be associated with other neurological disturbances like febrile seizures in children. (Sherjil et al ., 2010) . Zinc is one of the most important trace elements required for proper growth and health, being a cofactor of more than 200 enzymes and a structural protein. But there are only few studies on zinc status in cases of febrile seizures. The present study aimed to assess level of serum iron and zinc in children with febrile seizures in comparison to children suffering from afebrile seizures or febrile illness without seizures and healthy children. This study was carried out on 80 children allocated into four groups: group I: Twenty children with febrile seizures. They were recruited from the emergency room. group II: Twenty children with afebrile seizures (known epileptic) recruited from the inpatient department. group III: Twenty children with febrile illness, but without convulsions. They were recruited from the outpatient clinic and emergency room. group IV: Twenty healthy children. Who were attending the outpatient clinic for minor illness or follow up. Groups (II, III and IV): were selected to be age- and sex- matched for group I and were assigned as control groups. All children in four groups were subjected to parent oral consent about all details of the study, detailed medical history with special emphasis on neurological symptoms and detailed family history of febrile seizures as well as thorough clinical examination including neurological examination and laboratory investigations including: complete blood count, Serum CRP, blood chemistry (Na, K, Ca, and serum glucose) , serum iron and zinc level measured by colorimetric method. Data were collected, tabulated and statistically analyzed. The following findings were obtained: There was no significant difference between 4 groups as regard to sex and age. The present study showed that, no one of children with FS had past neurological insult or developmental delay in contrast to children with afebrile seizures who were found to have these abnormal neurological histories in their neonatal period. As regards features of FS, the present study showed that the most common type of seizures in children with FS is generalized tonic-clonic (85%), myoclonic type occurred in about (5%) while focal type in 10% of children. As regards duration of FS in our study 80% of children with F.S had duration of seizures 1-10 min and 20% had duration of seizures 11-25min. As regards family history of seizures in our study 25% of children with F.S had positive family history, 40% of children with afebrile seizures had positive family history. As regards body temperature, there was no significant difference between children with FS and children with fever only, mean temperature was (39.54±0.38c° and 39.438±0.61 c° respectively) and p value was 0.503. There were no significant statistical differences between both first and recurrent attacks of FS as regards clinico- demographic data and laboratory findings. There were no significant statistical differences between both simple and complex FS as regards clinico- demographic data and laboratory findings As regarding laboratory finding in our study, we found a significant differences between four groups in Hb level it is low in children with FS in comparison to children with afebrile seizures (group II) with p value 0.001, fever group (group III) with p value 0.016 and healthy (group IV) with p value 0.03. As regards serum electrolytes and glucose, there were no significant differences between children with FS and other groups children in our study as all children’s levels were within normal. Also, our study showed no significant difference as regards TLC and CRP between FS group and children with fever only as both groups showed mild leukocytosis as a sign of infection found in them. As regards serum zinc level in children with FS (group I) was significantly low in comparison with the three groups. As regard serum iron level in children with FS (group I) was significantly low in comparison with the three groups. We concluded that: Low serum iron and zinc levels were significant risk factor in patients with febrile seizures We may recommend that:- • It is advisable to prescribe the iron and zinc supplements sooner and more carefully to children who have important and well-known risk factors for febrile convulsion, such as family history of febrile convulsion. • It will be worthwhile to conduct a study to follow up children with iron and zinc deficiency, which stricken by the febrile convulsions after the treatment of iron and zinc deficiency, in terms of the recurrence rate of febrile convulsions. |