FAMILY HISTORY AND RECURRENCE OF FEBRILE SEIZURES

To determine the value of a detailed family history for the assessment of the risk of recurrence of febrile seizures, 115 children who visit ed the emergency room of an academic children's hospital were studied prospectively. The recurrence risk of febrile seizures was analysed in relation to the child's family history and the proportion of relative s affected by febrile seizures using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox pr oportional hazard models. A first degree family history positive for f ebrile seizures (parents or siblings affected by febrile seizures) inc reased a child's two year recurrence risk from 27 to 52%. No significa nt increase of recurrence risk for febrile seizures was found in child ren with second degree relatives (grandparents and uncles/aunts) or co usins only affected by febrile seizures. Recurrence risk was significa ntly correlated with the proportion of first degree relatives affected by febrile seizures: risks were 27, 40, and 83% in children whose pro portion was 0, 0-0.5, and greater than or equal to 0.5 respectively. A nalysis of the recurrence risk in relation to a weighted proportion, a djusted for the attained age and sex of first degree relatives, showed similar results. It is concluded that the application of the proporti on of first degree relatives affected by febrile seizures generates a more differentiated assessment of the recurrence risk of febrile seizu res.