To study the relationship between iron metabolism and benign infantile convulsions (BICE) with mild gastroenteritis.

A total of 40 children with BICE admitted in Foshan maternal and child health care center from Jan 2018 to Nov 2019 and 40 controls with acute gastroenteritis but without convulsions were included in this study. Hemoglobin (Hb), erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), reticulocyte (Ret), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), serum ferritin (SF), serum iron (SI) were measured. Analysis of the relationship between anemia, iron metabolism and inflammation-related indicators and BICE was conducted.

There was no statistical difference in the inflammation-related indicators (CRP, PCT) in the observation group compared with the control group (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in Hb, MCV, Ret, MCH, and MCHC in the observation group compared with the control group (P> 0.05). The observations showed that the incidence of anemia with BICE in children was slightly higher than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The serum SF and SI of the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).

The lack of iron in the body is closely related to the occurrence of BICE. The iron metabolism index may be used as a routine inspection item for children with mild gastroenteritis and benign convulsions in infants and young children. Iron supplementation may become a new means of BICE.