Antiepileptic Drugs and Bone Health in Thai Children with Epilepsy.

UNLABELLED: Background: Epilepsy is the most common neurological disease in children. The patient must take antiepileptic drug for controlling the seizure at least 2 years. Many previous studies show the effect of antiepileptic drug to vitamin D status and bone health.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and bone mineral density in the children who are taking antiepileptic drug at least 6 months.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: Thirty epileptic children who are 3-18 years old with taking antiepileptic drug at least 6 months and 30 healthy children in the same age were performed to investigate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, parathyroid hormone, spot urine calcium, spot urine phosphorus, spot urine creatinine and bone mineral density between October 2012 to September 2013.

RESULTS: Seven epileptic children (23.3%), eight healthy children (26.7%) have vitamin D deficiency. Only 3 epileptic children who are cerebral palsy also have low bone mineral density. There is only statistical significant of decreased serum albumin (p-value = 0.03) and corrected serum calcium (p-value = 0.04) that reveal in epileptic children group.

CONCLUSION: Evaluation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status and bone metabolism is essential in the treatment of childhood epilepsy.