Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors/Reviewers
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
    • Reviewer Guidelines
    • Open Access
    • Editorial Policies
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Online First
    • Archive
    • Blogs
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • AAP Meeting Abstracts
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effects on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • AAP Policy
  • Supplements
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors/Reviewers
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
    • Reviewer Guidelines
    • Open Access
    • Editorial Policies
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Online First
    • Archive
    • Blogs
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • AAP Meeting Abstracts
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effects on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • AAP Policy
  • Supplements
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers

Discover Pediatric Collections on COVID-19 and Racism and Its Effects on Pediatric Health

American Academy of Pediatrics
Article

Mortality Risks in New-Onset Childhood Epilepsy

Anne T. Berg, Katherine Nickels, Elaine C. Wirrell, Ada T. Geerts, Petra M.C. Callenbach, Willem F. Arts, Christina Rios, Peter R. Camfield and Carol S. Camfield
Pediatrics July 2013, 132 (1) 124-131; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-3998
Anne T. Berg
aEpilepsy Center, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Katherine Nickels
bEpilepsy and Child and Adolescent Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Elaine C. Wirrell
bEpilepsy and Child and Adolescent Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ada T. Geerts
cNeurology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Petra M.C. Callenbach
dNeurology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Willem F. Arts
cNeurology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Christina Rios
ePediatrics, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut; and
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Peter R. Camfield
fPediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Carol S. Camfield
fPediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments
Loading

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Download PDF

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Estimate the causes and risk of death, specifically seizure related, in children followed from onset of epilepsy and to contrast the risk of seizure-related death with other common causes of death in the population.

METHODS: Mortality experiences from 4 pediatric cohorts of newly diagnosed patients were combined. Causes of death were classified as seizure related (including sudden unexpected death [SUDEP]), natural causes, nonnatural causes, and unknown.

RESULTS: Of 2239 subjects followed up for >30 000 person-years, 79 died. Ten subjects with lethal neurometabolic conditions were ultimately excluded. The overall death rate (per 100 000 person-years) was 228; 743 in complicated epilepsy (with associated neurodisability or underlying brain condition) and 36 in uncomplicated epilepsy. Thirteen deaths were seizure-related (10 SUDEP, 3 other), accounting for 19% of all deaths. Seizure-related death rates were 43 overall, 122 for complicated epilepsy, and 14 for uncomplicated epilepsy. Death rates from other natural causes were 159, 561, and 9, respectively. Of 48 deaths from other natural causes, 37 were due to pneumonia or other respiratory complications.

CONCLUSIONS: Most excess death in young people with epilepsy is not seizure-related. Mortality is significantly higher compared with the general population in children with complicated epilepsy but not uncomplicated epilepsy. The SUDEP rate was similar to or higher than sudden infant death syndrome rates. In uncomplicated epilepsy, sudden and seizure-related death rates were similar to or higher than rates for other common causes of death in young people (eg, accidents, suicides, homicides). Relating the risk of death in epilepsy to familiar risks may facilitate discussions of seizure-related mortality with patients and families.

  • children
  • epilepsy
  • mortality
  • SUDEP
  • Abbreviations:
    CI —
    confidence interval
    PY —
    person-years
    SIDS —
    sudden infant death syndrome
    SUDEP —
    sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
    • Accepted March 21, 2013.
    • Copyright © 2013 by the American Academy of Pediatrics

    Individual Login

    Log in
    You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.

    Institutional Login

    via Institution

    You may be able to gain access using your login credentials for your institution. Contact your librarian or administrator if you do not have a username and password.

    Log in through your institution

    If your organization uses OpenAthens, you can log in using your OpenAthens username and password. To check if your institution is supported, please see this list. Contact your library for more details.

    Pay Per Article - You may access this article (from the computer you are currently using) for 2 days for US$25.00

    Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article purchase if your access period has not yet expired.

    Offer Reprints

    PreviousNext
    Back to top

    Advertising Disclaimer »

    In this issue

    Pediatrics
    Vol. 132, Issue 1
    1 Jul 2013
    • Table of Contents
    • Index by author
    View this article with LENS
    PreviousNext
    Email Article

    Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

    NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

    Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
    Mortality Risks in New-Onset Childhood Epilepsy
    (Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
    (Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
    CAPTCHA
    This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
    Request Permissions
    Article Alerts
    Log in
    You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.
    Or Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
    Citation Tools
    Mortality Risks in New-Onset Childhood Epilepsy
    Anne T. Berg, Katherine Nickels, Elaine C. Wirrell, Ada T. Geerts, Petra M.C. Callenbach, Willem F. Arts, Christina Rios, Peter R. Camfield, Carol S. Camfield
    Pediatrics Jul 2013, 132 (1) 124-131; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-3998

    Citation Manager Formats

    • BibTeX
    • Bookends
    • EasyBib
    • EndNote (tagged)
    • EndNote 8 (xml)
    • Medlars
    • Mendeley
    • Papers
    • RefWorks Tagged
    • Ref Manager
    • RIS
    • Zotero
    Share
    Mortality Risks in New-Onset Childhood Epilepsy
    Anne T. Berg, Katherine Nickels, Elaine C. Wirrell, Ada T. Geerts, Petra M.C. Callenbach, Willem F. Arts, Christina Rios, Peter R. Camfield, Carol S. Camfield
    Pediatrics Jul 2013, 132 (1) 124-131; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-3998
    del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
    Print
    Download PDF
    Insight Alerts
    • Table of Contents

    Jump to section

    • Article
      • Abstract
      • Methods
      • Results
      • Discussion
      • Conclusions
      • Footnotes
      • References
    • Figures & Data
    • Supplemental
    • Info & Metrics
    • Comments

    Related Articles

    • PubMed
    • Google Scholar

    Cited By...

    • Seizures in Children
    • Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy in children: a focused review of incidence and risk factors
    • Short-term Seizure Outcomes in Childhood Epilepsy
    • Getting serious about the early-life epilepsies: Lessons from the world of pediatric oncology
    • The incidence of SUDEP: A nationwide population-based cohort study
    • Practice guideline summary: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy incidence rates and risk factors: Report of the Guideline Development, Dissemination, and Implementation Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society
    • Increasing Awareness of Sudden Death in Pediatric Epilepsy Together
    • Childrens Experiences of Epilepsy: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies
    • A reappraisal of mortality after epilepsy surgery
    • Google Scholar

    More in this TOC Section

    • Predictive Models of Neurodevelopmental Outcomes After Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
    • A Technology-Assisted Language Intervention for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Randomized Clinical Trial
    • Standard Versus Long Peripheral Catheters for Multiday IV Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
    Show more Article

    Similar Articles

    Subjects

    • Neurology
      • Neurology
      • Neurologic Disorders

    Keywords

    • children
    • epilepsy
    • mortality
    • SUDEP
    • Journal Info
    • Editorial Board
    • Editorial Policies
    • Overview
    • Licensing Information
    • Authors/Reviewers
    • Author Guidelines
    • Submit My Manuscript
    • Open Access
    • Reviewer Guidelines
    • Librarians
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Usage Stats
    • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Resources
    • Media Kit
    • About
    • International Access
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Statement
    • FAQ
    • AAP.org
    • shopAAP
    • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Instagram
    • Visit American Academy of Pediatrics on Facebook
    • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Twitter
    • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Youtube
    • RSS
    American Academy of Pediatrics

    © 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics