CHANDIGARH: Be it cyst in the brain, genetic, infections or birth associated brain injury,childhood epilepsy in Chandigarh has been found to be — 6.24 per 1000 — more than the estimates prevalent in the northern India. The previously reported prevalence rate per 1000 for childhood epilepsy in three studies from Indian subcontinent have been reported as; 5.4 in Haryana; 5.4 in Kerala and 22.2 in Calicut.As a part of MD thesis in PGI, the department of paediatric medicine inferred the prevalence of epilepsy in Chandigarh. Dr Pratibha Singhi, who has supervised the research in the department of paediatric medicine said, “There had been no prevalence study on this topic, so we decided to conduct door-to-door survey. There are no national projections, but whatever published material is available cites the prevalence as 5.4 per 1,000 in children under the age of 16 years in North India.”
The prevalence rate of seizures, including epilepsy, was estimated at 12/1000 overall; 9/1000 in urban and 16/1000 in rural areas of Chandigarh. Differentiating between seizures or convulsions and epilepsy, Dr Singhi said, “Seizures with fever are termed febrile seizures (not epilepsy).
Two or more seizures not provoked by fever are termed epilepsy.
Febrile seizures were the single most common cause of acute symptomatic seizures in childhood, accounting for approximately 69% cases.
The study, however, has not found any specific reason regarding the incidence in the city.
“The known reasons are poor sanitation, consumption of raw vegetables or unhygienic water. In children deficiency of vitamins like vitamin B6 resulting in epilepsy can be corrected without any anti-epilepsy medicine,” said Dr Sunit Singhi, head of the paediatric medicine department.
Via: The Times of India
