Exploring the Effect of Vitamin B12 on Febrile Seizures in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies

Abstract

Background: Vitamin B12 (VB12) is a water-soluble vitamin, deficiency of which causes an extensive heterogeneous spectrum of neurological symptoms including vision disturbances, paresthesia, tremor, and seizure. The aim of this investigation is to determine the effect of serum VB12 levels on pediatric patients with febrile seizure (FS). Methods: In this meta-analysis, case-control studies that evaluated the effect of serum VB12 levels in pediatric patients with FS were included. Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched until August 13, 2024. The PICO criteria for this meta-analysis were as follows: Population/Patients (P: pediatric patients with febrile seizures); Issue of interest (I: serum levels of VB12); Comparison (C: control); Outcome (O: occurrence of febrile seizure). Quality assessment was assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) tool for case-control studies. The outcome assessment scales, study groups, and serum VB12 levels were extracted. Results: Of 435 initial articles, eventually 6 studies remained in the meta-analysis. Existing evidence indicated that serum VB12 concentrations were insignificantly lower in FS patients than controls (WMD=-1.09 pg/ml; 95 CI:-2.23, 0.04; P= 0.06), although a significant between-study heterogeneity was observed (I2= 98.10, P< 0.001). Conclusion: The results of our study pointed out that there is low serum VB12 concentrations in FS patients compared with controls. Despite the fact, one of the best ways to prevent FS in children can be VB12 supplementation and proper diet therapy.