Patel Mamta, Goel Akhil Dhanesh, Saini Lokesh, Kaushal Rashmi, Mathur Deepti, Mittal Amit K, Rajial Tanuja, Singh Kuldeep
Department of Paediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India.
Department of Community Medicine & Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India.
Seizure. 2025 Apr;127:36-43. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2025.02.012. Epub 2025 Feb 21.
Epilepsy is a widespread neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, with a large proportion of cases emerging in childhood. Many children with epilepsy in low and middle-income countries, such as India, encounter obstacles to care despite effective treatments, which add to the treatment gap.
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus and Shodhganga databases were searched for studies on epilepsy prevalence in pediatric and adolescent groups aged 0 to 19 years in India. Eligible studies were identified, and data were collected and synthesised using random-effect models. Geographic zones and gender were used to conduct subgroup analysis.
Thirteen community-based studies with seventeen datasets satisfied the inclusion requirements. The overall pooled prevalence of paediatric and adolescent epilepsy in India is 0.8 % (95 % CI: 0.6 %, 1.0 %). Significant variation was found among Indian zones according to subgroup analysis, with the Central zone showing the lowest prevalence (0.4 %) and the North-Eastern zone showing the highest prevalence (2.3 %). A Doi plot revealed major asymmetry with an LFK index of 4.24, indicating publication bias and small study effects. The studies had a high degree of heterogeneity (I = 93 %).
In India, epilepsy affects a large number of children and families, posing a significant public health burden. Effective management requires age-specific strategies for specialised interventions and full support services. This study underscores the necessity of improving healthcare access and addressing the treatment gap for children with epilepsy in India.
癫痫是一种广泛存在的神经系统疾病，全球数以百万计的人受其影响，其中很大一部分病例出现在儿童期。在印度等低收入和中等收入国家，许多患有癫痫的儿童尽管有有效的治疗方法，但在获得治疗方面仍面临障碍，这加剧了治疗差距。
按照PRISMA指南进行了系统综述和荟萃分析。在PubMed、Scopus和Shodhganga数据库中搜索关于印度0至19岁儿童和青少年群体癫痫患病率的研究。确定符合条件的研究，并使用随机效应模型收集和综合数据。利用地理区域和性别进行亚组分析。
13项基于社区的研究及17个数据集满足纳入要求。印度儿童和青少年癫痫的总体合并患病率为0.8%（95%置信区间：0.6%，1.0%）。亚组分析发现印度各区域之间存在显著差异，中部地区患病率最低（0.4%），东北地区患病率最高（2.3%）。漏斗图显示存在主要不对称性，LFK指数为4.24，表明存在发表偏倚和小研究效应。这些研究具有高度异质性（I² = 93%）。
在印度，癫痫影响着大量儿童和家庭，构成了重大的公共卫生负担。有效的管理需要针对特定年龄的专门干预策略和全面的支持服务。本研究强调了改善印度癫痫儿童医疗服务可及性并缩小治疗差距的必要性。
