Childhood Idiopathic Epilepsy in Saudi Arabia From 1990-2019: Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Data, 2019

Introduction In Saudi Arabia, the epidemiological estimates of childhood epilepsy are lacking. However, only a handful of studies have been performed to explore the epidemiology of childhood epilepsy. The objective of this study was to identify the burden of childhood idiopathic epilepsy in Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 2019 using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 study data. Methods Data on the burden of childhood idiopathic epilepsy (children aged 0-14 years) in Saudi Arabia from the GBD 2019 study was reviewed and presented. The outcome measures of the study were incidence, prevalence, deaths, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of childhood idiopathic epilepsy. Results In Saudi Arabia, the incident counts, prevalence, deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs were 5,365, 26,275, 58, 4,808, 9,466, and 14,273, respectively in 1990. The incidence [25.32% (95% uncertainty interval (UI): -64.00 to 379.03)], prevalence [35.40% (95% UI: -61.37 to 419.98)], and YLDs [7.99% (95% UI: -74.80 to 371.75)] rate (per 100,000 population) increased between 1990 and 2019. On the other hand, the death [-69.21% (95% UI: -82.54 to -34.86)], YLLs [-69.97% (95% UI: -83.13 to -35.81)], and DALYs [-18.27% (95% UI: -73.15 to 119.87)] rate (per 100,000 population) dropped between the same duration. Conclusion In the last three decades, the incidence and prevalence of childhood idiopathic epilepsy have modestly increased in Saudi Arabia, but the number of deaths has fallen substantially. Further research studies are needed from Saudi Arabia to understand the regional, gender-based, and socioeconomic differences of childhood idiopathic epilepsy and its impact on the psycho-cognitive development and quality of life of children.