Background: Febrile seizure is the most common childhood neurological disorder, is an important health problem with potential short- and long-term complications, also leading to economic burden and increased parental anxiety about fevers and seizures occurring in their children. There are no routine recommendation to detect etiological causes of FS for neurological perspective, further knowledge about the etiological causes of FS in children will support preventive measures and follow-up strategies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the percentage of respiratory viruses in children with FS. Methods: This prospective multicenter study, entitled “Viral etiological causes of febrile seizures for respiratory pathogens (EFES Study)” examined representative populations in eight different cities in Turkey between March 1, 2016 and April 1, 2017. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from all children at presentation. A respiratory multiplex array was performed to detect for influenza A and B; respiratory syncytial virus A and B; human parainfluenza virus 1-2-3 and 4; human coronavirus 229E and OC43; human rhinovirus; human enterovirus; human adenovirus; human bocavirus; human metapneumovirus. Results: During the study period, at least one virus was detected in 82.7% (144/174) of children with FS. The most frequently detected virus was adenovirus, followed by influenza A and influenza B. Detection of more than one virus was present in 58.3% of the children with FS, and the most common co-existence was the presence of adenovirus and influenza B. In children younger than 12 months, Coronavirus OC43 was the most common, while influenza A was most frequently observed in children older than 48 months (p < 0.05). Human bocavirus was common in children who experienced complex FS, while respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A was more common in children who experienced simple FS. Influenza B virus was the most common virus identified in children who were experiencing their first incidence of FS (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study indicates that respiratory viruses are important in the etiology of FS in children. The results show that antibiotics must be prescribed carefully in children with FS since the majority of cases are related to viral causes. Widespread use of the existing quadrivalent influenza vaccine might be useful for the prevention of FS related to the flu. Further vaccine candidates for potential respiratory pathogens, including RSV, might be helpful for the prevention of FS.

Interactive Journal of Medical Research

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by ingestion of dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of restless leg syndrome (RLS) in children with CD and to investigate the associated factors for RLS. Totally 494 children with the ages ranging between 11-18 years were included. Among those, 226 were under follow-up with CD and constituted the study group while other 268 children did not have any symptoms or signs associated with CD and established the control group. The demographic data, educational status and routine laboratory data of children including complete blood count, ferritin, vitamin B12, foliate and 25 (OH) vitamin D levels were recorded. The RLS prevalence and associated symptoms of children were defined with a questionnaire. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups regarding the age and gender. Moreover, RLS prevalence was also similar in both groups (3.5% vs 3.0% in CD and control groups, respectively, p=0.98). However, interestingly, in CD group, the mean age of the patients at the onset of RLS symptoms was statistically significantly younger (p=0.02) and the disease was more severe (p=0.026) than the control group. In correlation analysis in CD group, the RLS severity significantly negatively correlated with serum ferritin, folic acid or 25 (OH) vitamin D levels in Celiac disease group. In this study we did not determine an increased prevalence of RLS in children with CD. However, in CD group, the age at the onset of RLS symptoms was significantly younger and the disease was more severe in CD group compared with the control cases.