Growth Pattern of Children on Medication with Anticonvulsants

Park, Seong Shik; Lee, Jung Im; Bae, Sang Nam; Nam, Sang Ook; Park, Hee Ju

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the growth pattern of epileptic children on medication with anticonvulsants.
METHODS
We measured the weight, height and head circumference of 219 epileptic children on medication with anticonvulsants through the review of the medical records, compared these with those of the control group as means of Standard Measurement of Body Growth for Korean Chidren and Adolescence reformed at 1998 and analyzed this data according to sex, age at the start of medication, duration of medication, the cause of epilepsy, the type of seizure and the number of anticonvulsants.
RESULTS
The weight and height at the start of medication with anticonvulsants had no difference from those of the control group according to sex, age at the start of medication, the cause of epilepsy, the type of seizure and the number of anticonvulsants, but the head circumference at the start of medication was smaller than that of the control group(P<0.05), especially in children aged 1 to 6 years(P<0.005) and in children with symptomatic epilepsy(P<0.001). The increase of weight, height and head circumference had no difference from those of the control group according to sex, age, duration of medication, the cause of epilepsy, the type of seizure and the number of anticonvulsants.
CONCLUSION
The increase of weight, height and head circumference of epileptic children on medication with anticonvulsants had no difference from those of normal children.