Incidence of childhood and adolescence epilepsy: a community-based prospective study in the province of Ferrara and in Copparo, Italy, 1996-2005.

Background:  The annual incidence of childhood and adolescence epilepsy ranges from 41 to 97 diagnoses per 100 000 people in western Countries, with a reported decline over time. We aimed at studying the incidence of epilepsy in children and adolescents (1 month to 14 years) and its temporal trend in the province of Ferrara, northern Italy. Methods:  We implemented a community-based prospective multi-source registry. All children with newly diagnosed epilepsy in the period 1996-2005 were recorded. Results:  The incidence rate of newly diagnosed epilepsy in the considered age range was 57 per 100 000 person-years, (95% CI: 49.3-65.9), with a peak in the first year of life (109.4; 95% CI: 69.4-164.1), without differences between the two gender. The estimates were significantly lower than those observed previously (97.3; 95% CI: 81.9-115.7). Conclusions:  Incidence rates for epilepsy in the Italian population aged 1 month to 14 years are in line with those of other European and Northern American Countries. The incidence of childhood epilepsy has declined over time in our area. A reduced impact of serious perinatal adverse events could partly explain the decline.