Evaluation of the Efficacy of Levetiracetam Plus Iron in Comparison With Iron Alone in Controlling and Reducing the Frequency of Breath-Holding Spells in Children Aged 6 Months to 5 Years

A breath-holding spell (BHS) is defined as an apnea attack following
an initial stressful event like anger, sadness, and fear, a painful event
like falling or head trauma or any stressful psychology event. This
study was designed to assess the comparative efficacy of levetiracetam
plus iron and iron alone in reducing the BHS frequency in children
aged 6 months to 5 years.
Materials & Method
This study was designed as a double-blinded randomized clinical
trial. Sixty patients aged 6 months to 5 years were assigned into two
groups, with the first group (A) receiving only iron and the second
group (B) receiving levetiracetam plus iron. At the end of the study,
the efficacy of therapy was analyzed comparatively in these groups.
Results
In this study, the mean number of attacks was 3.94 ± 2.69 before
treatment and 1.71 ± 1.99 after treatment in the group A, while it
was 6.39 ± 5.7 before treatment and 0.37 ± 1.03after treatment in the
group B. The mean number of attacks after treatment was lower in
group B than in group A. In fact, there was a significant difference
between the two groups in terms of the number of attacks after
treatment (P = 0.003).
Conclusion
Levetiracetam plus iron is more effective than iron alone in reducing
BHSs in children aged 6 months to 5 years