Aronu A E, Iloeje S O
Department of Pediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria.
Niger J Clin Pract. 2011 Apr-Jun;14(2):132-6. doi: 10.4103/1119-3077.84000.
The existence of a psychosocial dysfunction in the siblings of children with chronic illness has been documented. There are very few reports on siblings of children with epilepsy. The aim of this study is to investigate to what extent the children's epilepsy has affected their healthy siblings in our own center.
Epileptic patients who consecutively referred to the Pediatric Neurology Clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, from October 1999 to September 2000 were recruited. Demographic data were obtained, with a questionnaire administered to the parents. Information on the behavior of the school-age siblings and control was obtained by the class teachers using Rutter's behavior scale (B2) for children (Teacher's Scale).
One hundred and fifty-six children with epilepsy, of age four to fifteen years, 124 males and 32 females, with a Male: Female ratio of 4: 1, were recruited; and 156 school-age siblings of the epileptic children (index children) and 156 controls were studied. Prevalence of behavioral problems was 38.5 and 15.4%, respectively, among the index and control children ( P < 0.001). There was no significant sex difference in the two groups. There was a significant difference in the distribution of the types of behavior problems between the index and controls ( P < 0.05). The duration of epilepsy did not affect the prevalence of behavior problems ( P < 0.05), but seizure control had a significant effect on the prevalence of behavior problems ( P < 0.001).
Siblings of children with epilepsy have more behavioral disturbances than controls. A strong association was found between poor seizure control and the prevalence of behavioral problems.
已有文献记载慢性病患儿的兄弟姐妹存在心理社会功能障碍。关于癫痫患儿兄弟姐妹的报道非常少。本研究的目的是调查在我们中心，儿童癫痫在多大程度上影响了他们健康的兄弟姐妹。
招募了1999年10月至2000年9月期间连续转诊至尼日利亚大学教学医院埃努古儿科神经科诊所的癫痫患者。获取了人口统计学数据，并向家长发放了问卷。学龄期兄弟姐妹和对照组儿童的行为信息由班级教师使用儿童鲁特行为量表（B2）（教师版）获取。
招募了156名年龄在4至15岁的癫痫患儿，其中男性124名，女性32名，男女比例为4:1；对156名癫痫患儿（索引儿童）的学龄期兄弟姐妹和156名对照组儿童进行了研究。索引儿童和对照儿童中行为问题的患病率分别为38.5%和15.4%（P<0.001）。两组之间在性别上无显著差异。索引儿童和对照组在行为问题类型的分布上存在显著差异（P<0.05）。癫痫病程对行为问题的患病率没有影响（P<0.05），但癫痫发作的控制对行为问题的患病率有显著影响（P<0.001）。
癫痫患儿的兄弟姐妹比对照组有更多的行为障碍。癫痫发作控制不佳与行为问题的患病率之间存在密切关联。
