Background: Pediatric epilepsy, treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), can lead to significant metabolic disturbances, impacting hematological and biochemical parameters vital for child health management.
Objectives: This study evaluates the effect of epilepsy types on hematological and biochemical markers in children, aiming to understand the metabolic side effects of AEDs.
Patients and methods: Conducted at Qena University Hospital, this cross sectional study involved 50 children categorized into 5 subgroups pharmaco-responsive cases vs. pharmaco-resistant cases , cases with focal onset seizures vs cases with generalized onset seizures,cases managed with single antiepileptic drug vs cases managed with multiple antiepileptic drugs, cases with normal EEG vs cases with abnormal EEG and  cases with epileptic discharge vs cases without epileptic discharge. Parameters including CBC, serum ionized calcium, serum sodium, serum potassium, serum creatinine, AST, and ALT levels were measured.
Results: Focal onset seizures were associated with lower hemoglobin and higher ionized calcium level compared to generalized onset seizures. No significant differences were noted in the majority of parameters between pharmaco-sensitive and -resistant groups, cases with single antiepileptic drug compared to cases managed with multiple antiepileptic drugs, cases with normal EEG and cases with abnormal EEG or cases with epileptic discharge vs cases without epileptic discharge
Conclusion: The study reveals that epilepsy and its treatment with AEDs have an influence on the assessed hematological and biochemical parameters in children, with specific attention to the type of epilepsy and seizure onset.These findings support a tailored approach to monitoring and managing children with epilepsy, ensuring both seizure control and overall health preservation.