Which Child Will Have a Febrile Seizure?

To identify risk factors predictive of a first febrile seizure. —Case-control study. —Regional referral pediatric hospital emergency department. —Seventy-five patients aged 6 months to 4 years presenting with a first febrile seizure were age-matched to two febrile and two afebrile noninfectious controls who had never had a seizure. —Telephone interview of parents. —Risk factors assessed included family history of febrile or afebrile seizures, neurodevelopmental abnormality, and child-care arrangement. Analysis was done by matched case-control and logistic regression. —Factors associated with a significant increase in risk of a first febrile seizure were febrile seizures in first-degree relative or second-degree relative neonatal discharge at 28 days or later parental report of “slow” development and day-care attendance For children with two risk factors the risk of developing febrile seizures is approximately 28% (assuming a population incidence of febrile seizures of 4%).