Longitudinal assessment of skill development in children with first febrile seizure

To determine whether first febrile seizure (FS) has detrimental effects on development, 159 children (aged 6 months to 5 years) with FS were compared to 142 controls on measures of cognition, motor ability, and adaptive behavior. Participants were identified through the emergency department in an urban, low-income community. Children were evaluated within one month of the ED visit and one year later, and difference in performance over one year was examined. Performance did not differ between cases and controls on measures of cognition (baseline: p = 0.5, one year: p = 0.2, change over time: p = 0.1) or motor skills (baseline: p = 0.9, one year: p = 0.7, change over time, p = 0.6). The adaptive behavior composite score did not differ by FS case status at baseline (p = 0.2) or one year later (p = 0.6); however, between-group differences over time approached significance (p = 0.05). Findings support the idea that first FS does not pose developmental or behavioral consequences in a low socioeconomic environment.