Effects of Piracetam on Pediatric Breath-Holding Spells

Objectives

To determine the frequency of successful response to treatment with Piracetam versus placebo in pediatric patients suffering from breath-holding spells. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pediatrics, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jan to Dec 2022. Methodology: This study was conducted on 100 pediatric patients suffering from breath-holding spells, who were aged between 1 and 5 years of both genders. Potential participants with a history of epilepsy, iron deficiency anemia, electrolyte imbalance, hypoglycemia, chronic kidney disease / acute kidney injury, neurodevelopmental disorders, or those who have received previous treatment for breath-holding spells, or those who were lost to follow-up were excluded. Patients were documented for the frequency of attacks per month prior to therapy and divided into two groups: in Group-A, patients received Piracetam at a dose of 20 mg/kg/dose twice daily for three months while in Group-B, patients received a placebo twice daily for three months. All patients