Table 2. Iron deficiency, α-thalassemia genotypes and acute seizures.

Indices	Cases, N = 133	Controls, N = 133	P-value
Hematological indices
Mean (SD) white blood cell count/µl	13.0 (7.4)	14.1 (8.3)	0.240
Hemoglobin <110 g/L, (%)	115 (86.5)	117 (88.0)	0.713
Packed cell volume <33%	104 (78.2)	106 (79.7)	0.764
Mean cell volume (SD), fl	71.6 (9.4)	73.6 (12.1)	0.129
Microcytosis (age defined, %)*	86 (64.7)	72 (54.1)	0.080
Biochemical indices of iron deficiency
Median (IQR) serum iron, µg/dl	16.9 (11.4–23.8)	18.7 (12.0–26.4)	0.135
Median (IQR) serum ferritin, µg/ml	126 (37–296)	106 (33–299)	0.479
Mean serum transferrin, mg/dl	223 (95)	227 (110)	0.720
Iron deficiency†	45 (33.8)	36 (27.1)	0.230
Iron deficiency anemia‡	41 (30.8)	30 (22.6)	0.127
α-Thalassemia genotype			0.269§
Normal (no deletion, %)	46 (34.6)	57 (42.9)
Heterozygous (single deletion, %)	65 (48.9)	61 (45.9)
Homozygous (double deletion, %)	22 (16.5)	15 (11.3)

*Microcytosis is defined as age-corrected normal values (MCV<70 fl/µl in children <2 years, <73 fl/µl in children 2–4 years, <75 fl/µl in children 5–7 years and <76 fl/µl in children ≥8 years).

^†In patients with malaria, iron deficiency was defined as plasma ferritin<30µg/ml if CRP<50mg/ml or as ferritin<273µg/ml if CRP≥50mg/ml and in those without malaria, it was defined as plasma ferritin<12µg/ml if CRP<10mg/ml or as ferritin<30µg/ml if CRP≥10mg/ml.

^‡Iron deficiency and hemoglobin <11g/dl.

^§Chi square test for trend.