Febrile convulsions in children in the Tuzla Canton: a 6-year epidemiological study
Objective – The research was carried out in order to establish by retrospective research the incidence of febrile convulsions (FC) in the area of the Tuzla Canton. Methods – Using a retrospective cohort study, children were included from the age of one month to 7 years of life, who lived in the Tuzla Canton and who were hospitalized for their first FC at the Department of paeditrics in Tuzla in the period from 1.1.1999 to 31.12.2004. From this documentation data was analyzed related to the age and sex of the children, the type of FC attack and the seasonal frequency. Results – The total annual incidence of FC in children of both sexes was 3.0/1000 (95%CI 2.8-3.3), 3.2/1000 for boys, and 2.9/1000 for girls. Conclusion – The results are the first epidemiological indicators of FC in Bosnia and Herzegovina and are a good foundation for future monitoring, since they may be useful in planning preventive, organizational and therapy programs for paediatric health care in this region.