Are Febrile Seizures Associated With Increased Sudden Death Risk in Young Children?

May 13, 2019

Children with febrile seizures (FS) have a small yet elevated risk for death. Recent data suggest that FS may contribute to sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) among cases of sudden explained death in childhood (SEDC). This is according to findings published in JAMA Network Open from one of the largest studies of its kind exploring the role of FS and other risk factors in SUDC.

A total of 622 consecutive cases of sudden child death that occurred from 2001 to 2017 were included in the review. Data were collected from voluntary records of family members who were registered with the SUDC Foundation. The final cause of death resulted in cases categorized as either SEDC or SUDC. The main outcome measure included the certified manner of death as accident, natural, or undetermined.