Can Antihistamines Trigger Seizures in Young Kids?
October 19, 2024
Article Published by Medscape
First-generation antihistamines are linked to a 22% higher risk for seizures in children, new research shows. The risk appears to be most pronounced in children aged 6-24 months. Researchers in Korea assessed the risk for seizures associated with prescriptions of first-generation antihistamines. They analyzed data from 11,729 children who had a seizure event (an emergency department visit with a diagnosis of epilepsy, status epilepticus, or convulsion) and had previously received a prescription for a first-generation antihistamine, including chlorpheniramine maleate, mequitazine, oxatomide, piprinhydrinate, or hydroxyzine hydrochloride. Prescriptions during the 15 days before a seizure were considered to have been received during a hazard period, whereas earlier prescriptions were considered to have been received during a control period. The researchers excluded patients with febrile seizures. In an adjusted analysis, a prescription for an antihistamine during the hazard period was associated with a 22% higher risk for seizures in children and the seizure risk was significant in children aged 6-24 months. For older children, the risk was not statistically significant. The authors of the study wrote, “It would be reasonable to inform families that at least one study has suggested a relatively small increase in the risk of seizures with first-generation antihistamines. They added that there is still too little data to draw any firm conclusions and also recommended providing families with information on what to do if the child were to have a seizure.”