Seizures Were More Common In Children With FASD

What was studied

Researchers looked at epilepsy, EEG results, and brain scan findings in 103 Norwegian children diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

This was a cross-sectional study, meaning the children were assessed at one point in time rather than followed over many years. All children had a multidisciplinary FASD evaluation and a standardized 120-minute EEG. The researchers also collected clinical details, neurodevelopmental information, treatment-related data, and considered whether any epilepsy might have an etiology unrelated to FASD.

What they found

Epilepsy was diagnosed in 8 of 103 children with FASD, or 7.8%. The authors note this is higher than the reported national epilepsy prevalence of 0.6% in Norway. EEG abnormalities were found in 17 children (16.5%), including children with epilepsy.

Among the 8 children with epilepsy, 3 had features suggestive of genetic or idiopathic epilepsy. One child had a structural lesion identified on MRI. The authors reported an increased frequency of epilepsy in this FASD cohort, but noted that some epilepsy cases may be better explained by genetic or idiopathic mechanisms rather than FASD.

Limits of the evidence

This study cannot show that FASD causes epilepsy. It was cross-sectional, so it shows how common epilepsy and EEG changes were in this group at one time, but it cannot establish cause and effect.

The study included 103 children from Norway, so the results may not apply the same way to other countries or groups. There was no separate control group studied at the same time; the comparison was made to national prevalence data. The abstract also gives limited detail about seizure types and about how strongly other causes of epilepsy were ruled in or out.

For families and caregivers

For families, this study suggests that epilepsy may be more frequent in children with FASD than expected from national prevalence data, and EEG abnormalities may also be seen. It also shows that when a child with FASD has seizures, doctors may still consider other possible explanations, including genetic or idiopathic epilepsy or a structural brain finding, rather than assuming FASD is the only explanation.

This may matter when planning evaluation and treatment, but the study does not show that every child with FASD is likely to develop epilepsy.

What to watch next

Stronger evidence would come from larger studies that follow children with FASD over time and compare them directly with similar children without FASD, while also checking carefully for genetic and structural causes of epilepsy.

Terms in this summary

FASD

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, a group of developmental, cognitive, and behavioural problems linked to alcohol exposure before birth.

EEG

A test that records the brain's electrical activity using sensors on the scalp.

epilepsy

A condition with repeated unprovoked seizures.

cross-sectional study

A study that looks at people at one point in time rather than following them over time.

idiopathic epilepsy

Epilepsy with no identified cause; in some cases it may have a genetic basis.

MRI

A brain scan that uses magnets to make detailed pictures of the body.

structural lesion

A visible change in the brain that may help explain seizures.