Relation between Vitamin D and Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy in Children

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to explore vitamin D status among children with generalized idiopathic epilepsy and comparing it with healthy control and follow up after 3months for cases with deficient and insufficient vitamin D serum level. Subjects and Methods The study was carried on forty epileptic children (2-16 years old) and forty age and sex matched healthy control subjects. Serum vitamin D level as well as parathormone level was performed for all patients and control subjects and follow up after 3months for cases with deficient and insufficient vitamin D serum level. Results There was a statistically significant difference between patients and control regarding family history(0.04) and febrile convulsions(P value<0.001). there was also a statistically significant difference between patients and control regarding ionized calcium (P value<0.001) and vitamin D status (p value = 0.043). There was also a statistically highly significant difference regarding serum vitamin D level in deficient and insufficient cases before and after 3months (P value<0.001) moreover, there was a statistically significant difference regarding frequency of seizure in deficient and insufficient cases before and after 3months (p value = 0.02). Patients with insufficient serum vitamin D levels had a significant lower age at onset of epilepsy than patients with deficient or normal levels (p value=0.046). Both vitamin D level and family history were found to be a significant predictor for developing IGEs in children (P value <0.001) for both. Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in treatment children with idiopathic generalized epilepsy and it is associated with increased frequency of seizures and lower age at onset of epilepsy. We recommend measuring and correction of vitamin D deficiency and follow up insufficient and deficient cases who have IGEs with EEG as it is a relatively cheap and easy method that might improve seizure control hand in hand with administering AEDs.