Sex Distribution and Epidemiological Patterns in Febrile Seizures: A Systematic Review
| Author | Ali Khajeh | en |
| Author | Behrouz Khajeh | en |
| Author | Mojtaba Lotfi | en |
| Author | Mehrnaz Nazari Rad | en |
| Author | Jalal Nourmohammadi | en |
| Orcid | Ali Khajeh [0000-0003-2146-9345] | en |
| Orcid | Behrouz Khajeh [0000-0002-0834-7952] | en |
| Orcid | Mojtaba Lotfi [0000-0003-1762-391X] | en |
| Orcid | Mehrnaz Nazari Rad [0009-0003-8341-8153] | en |
| Orcid | Jalal Nourmohammadi [0000-0002-6071-3040] | en |
| Issued Date | 2026-07-31 | en |
| Abstract | Context: Febrile seizures are the most common seizure disorder in early childhood and are a major cause of emergency department visits and parental anxiety. Although numerous epidemiological studies have reported sex differences among affected children, the consistency of these findings across diverse populations remains uncertain. A comprehensive synthesis of the available evidence is therefore needed to clarify sex-related epidemiological patterns in febrile seizures. This systematic review aimed to synthesize published evidence on sex distribution and epidemiological patterns among children with febrile seizures across diverse populations. Evidence Acquisition: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Five electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library) were searched from inception to January 2026. Observational studies reporting sex distribution or epidemiological characteristics of children with febrile seizures were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Extracted data included study characteristics, sample size, age, sex distribution, and key epidemiological findings. Results: Fifteen studies involving children with febrile seizures were included. In most studies, boys accounted for a higher proportion of affected children than girls, although reported male-to-female ratios varied considerably across populations. Sex distributions differed by geographic region and study setting, indicating substantial epidemiological heterogeneity. Several studies also reported variation in age at presentation, family history, fever characteristics, seizure type, recurrence patterns, and associated clinical factors. However, the available evidence was largely descriptive and did not consistently evaluate sex after adjustment for potential confounding variables. Discussion: Current evidence indicates that febrile seizures are more frequently reported in boys across many study populations, although the magnitude of this difference varies across epidemiological settings. The existing literature primarily describes the sex distribution rather than establishing biological sex as an independent determinant of febrile seizures. Future large-scale prospective studies using standardized methodologies and multivariable analyses are warranted to clarify sex-related epidemiological patterns and their potential clinical implications. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/jjcdc-172751 | en |
| URI | https://brieflands.com/journals/jjcdc/articles/172751 | en |
| Keyword | Febrile Seizures | en |
| Keyword | Sex Distribution | en |
| Keyword | Epidemiology | en |
| Keyword | Children | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Sex Distribution and Epidemiological Patterns in Febrile Seizures: A Systematic Review | en |
| Type | Systematic Review | en |
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