Dopo un anno ho raccolto "60 casi", ho inviato i risultati di questa ricerca ad un convegno ma non sono stati accettati. In attesa di incrementare i casi e di scrivere un lavoro su rivista, pubblico nel blog questo studio preliminare intrapreso per capire meglio le cause dell'epilessia infantile. Ringrazio i genitori che mi hanno aiutato e quelli che lo faranno.
Introduction
Pathologies in which it is suspected that the underlying damage occurs during the embryo-foetal period may found intriguing correlation when considering the seasonal period of birth/conception. Season of birth influences levels of CSF neurotransmitters and incidence of many neurological diseases. Maternal infections, low vitamin assumption, loss of maternal-foetal chronobiological functions have been proposed as possible hypothesis. Since length of human pregnancy is 9 months, the division of season in periods start-, mid- and end- include contemporary birth periods but also conception periods. In order to contribute to the development of strategy of primary prevention or aetiological treatment, data of full term patients with infantile epilepsy were collected and results of distribution thorough season periods of birth are showed.
METHODS:
The study population included 60 Italian children (26 females and 34 males) born from 2000 to 2010 with diagnosis of infantile epilepsy. Data were collected from parents by a dedicated group of facebook. Parents answered about period of conception, birth date, period of onset of seizures. Period of full term birth were divided into start-(S), mid-(M), and end-(E) season groups. The season period of birth in this sample was compared with periods from 561.944 birth in 2010 in Italy (www.demo.istat.it).
RESULTS:
The percentage distribution of period seasons for this sample was: 39% start season, 16% mid season and 45% end season. The percentage distribution of Italian population born in 2010 was 33% start-, 35% mid- end 32% end season.
CONCLUSIONS:
Higher risks for epilepsy among those conceived/born in the start and in the end of season and lower in middle season could suggest the presence of environmental causes of epilepsy that vary by periods. This preliminary study seems to indicate the seasonal presence in the environment of aetiological factors for epilepsy which acts in the perinatal period modulating the neurodevelopment.
