These seizures occur in association with fever during childhood, without an underlying defined cause. Although the molecular basis of febrile seizures is still largely unknown, several findings suggest a genetic origin.
Febrile seizures is known to aggregate in families.
Segregation studies suggest different modes of inheritance of febrile seizures. Different genes may underlie febrile seizures in different families and the effect of these genes may depend for a large part on the presence of other genes or environmental factors. The genetic-epidemiologic unit studies the genetics of febrile seizure in collaboration with the Department of Paediatrics of the Sophia Children s Hospital Rotterdam and the Paediatric Department of the Juliana Children s Hospital in Den Haag. These studies included the recurrence risk of febrile seizures in siblings and the relationship of familial factors and clinical features of febrile seizures. Further, candidate genes were studied in an extended family with febrile seizures as well as in a series of affected sib pairs with febrile seizures.