Breastfeeding and Febrile Seizures
by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM
Seizures that occur when a child has a fever with no other abnormality such as a brain infection or poisoning are called febrile seizures (FS). According to the authors of this week’s article, FS are common, occurring in 2-5% of all infants and children between ages 6 months and 5 years. FS are more common in Japan, ranging from 3.4%-11%. Children are at higher risk for FS if they have a family history, or if they are born premature or small for gestational age. This research study was done to evaluate whether breastfeeding protects from FS.
The authors analyzed data from a birth cohort study called the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, which has been collecting data on the influence of environmental factors on children’s health, starting from fetalhood. This study includes 84,082 mother-infant dyads. Breastfeeding duration was included within the great deal of data collected regarding the mothers’ and children’s’ health and environment.
In their questionnaire, they categorized breastfeeding into 4 groups: Less than 1 month, 1-3 months, 4-6 months, and 7-12 months. They also asked about exclusivity between birth and 6 months.
The study was controlled for maternal history of seizures, family history of siblings, maternal medications and substances, family income, and daycare exposure.
- Infants who were breastfed longer had fewer FS because they had fewer fevers.
- The longer an infant was breastfed, the lower the risk of FS.
- Higher exclusivity of breastfeeding was associated with fewer FS.
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Abstract
Objective
Our study was conducted to examine the association between breastfeeding and febrile seizures (FS) in the first year of life.
Methods
We used data from a birth cohort study, the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS). In a self-administered questionnaire, we asked participants the duration of breastfeeding and whether their children were diagnosed as having FS during their first 12 months. We estimated the association of duration and exclusiveness of breastfeeding with the FS by using multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results
Of 84,082 children, 995 (1.2%) were diagnosed as having FS by the age of 12 months. The prevalence of FS was higher in children who were breastfed for shorter duration. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that, compared with children breastfed for less than 1 month, those breastfed for 4–6 months and 7–12 months had lower risks of FS (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.65 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.42–0.99]; aOR, 0.66 [95% CI: 0.45–0.96], respectively). Moreover, compared with infants who received both breast milk and formula milk for 6 months, infants who were breastfed exclusively for 6 months had lower risk of FS (aOR: 0.78 [95% CI: 0.64–0.95]).
The authors did not find an association between the number of fever episodes and the relationship between breastfeeding and FS. In other words, breastfeeding didn’t appear to prevent FS because breastfed infants had fewer illnesses and fevers. The authors mention that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in breastmilk may protect from FS, because DHA is hypothesized to reduce neuronal excitability and exert an anti-convulsive effect, based on 1 lab study in their references.
Although this was a large study with bountiful detailed data, more studies are needed to confirm that breastfeeding protects from FS.