Electrocardiography Parameters’ Changes in Epilepsy and Breath- holding children compared to Healthy Children

Background: Breath holding spells (BHS) are paroxysmal events with apnea and postural tone with Electrocardiography (ECG) abnormality and epilepsy status reports. The study aimed to compare the ECG parameters’ in epilepsy and breath-holding children compared with healthy children. Materials and Methods: This case control study conducted on 270 participants consisted of 90 children in each group of epilepsy, breath-holding and control (healthy children) that were collected from pediatric clinics of Ali Asghar Hospital, Zahedan, Iran, for a period of one year starting in 2018. QT, QTd, QTc and QTcd were recorded after ECG for participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and the level of 0.05 was considered significant. Results: From children, 45.6% were girls. Height and weight were the highest in controls and the lowest in breath-holding group, significantly (p <0.001). QT had the highest value in BHs, followed by epilepsy when dispersion QT, corrected QT had the highest values in epilepsy (448.62±56.14), and then BHS (433.00±32.76). QT abnormality in epilepsy, controls and BHs frequency of 16 (17.8%), 3(3.3%), and 7(7.8%), respectively (Chi-square=11.321, p=0.003). The abnormal individuals based on corrected QT frequency of 43(47.8%), 14(15.6%), and 26(28.9%) in epilepsy, controls and BHs groups and this trend was 44(48.9%), 9(10.00%), and 24 (26.70%) (Chi-square=33.611, p <0.001) for dispersion QTc, Conclusion: It was concluded that QTd, QTc and QTcd were higher in epilepticus children compared with breath-holding and controls. To maintain a good strategic treatment in patients with epilepsy, there is a need to assess alternations in ECG parameters, especially QT changes that lead to better comprehensive autonomic changes.