Febrile seizures and childhood epilepsy and risk of internalizing and psychotic symptoms

Objective To assess whether children with febrile seizures and/or epilepsy were at increased risk of experiencing internalizing symptoms or psychotic‐like experiences at age 11 years. Methods This cohort study includes 44 819 children from the 11‐year follow up of the Danish National Birth Cohort. Information on childhood seizures was retrieved from the Danish National Patient Registry, whereas child psychiatric symptoms were assessed in a web‐based questionnaire using the Adolescent Psychotic‐like Symptom Screener and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between childhood seizures and internalizing symptoms (symptom score ≥8) and psychotic‐like experiences (≥2 definite experiences) were obtained using logistic regression models. Results A total of 1620 children with febrile seizures (3.6%), and 311 children with epilepsy (0.7%) were identified. When adjusted for potential confounders, no association between febrile seizures and psychiatric symptoms was observed, and no association was observed between epilepsy and psychotic‐like experiences. However, the OR for internalizing symptoms was 1.76 (95% CI: 1.20–2.58) in children with epilepsy compared to children without. This higher risk was evident mainly in boys (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.37–3.85), children with ≥2 epilepsy‐related hospital admissions (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.81–4.32), and children whose age at first epilepsy‐related hospital admission was 0–3 years (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.45–4.19). Significance No association was found between febrile seizures and psychiatric symptoms or epilepsy and psychotic‐like experiences at age 11. However, boys with epilepsy were at higher risk of experiencing internalizing symptoms.