EPIDEMIOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF PEDIATRIC EPILEPSY IN THE NORTHEASTERN REGION, BETWEEN 2016 AND 2025

Abstract

Introduction: Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders in childhood and can affect the development and quality of life of affected children. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, it remains a significant public health problem, especially in contexts of unequal access to healthcare. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of hospitalizations for pediatric epilepsy in the Northeast region, within the SUS system, from 2016 to 2025. Methods: This is an observational, descriptive, quantitative, and ecological epidemiological study based on secondary data from the Brazilian Unified Health System's Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS), extracted via TABNET/DATASUS, analyzing age group, federative unit, type of care, sex, and race. Results: 63,757 hospitalizations for epilepsy were recorded in the 0-14 year old population of the Northeast region during the period, corresponding to 28.39% of the national total. The states of Ceará (32.58%) and Bahia (25.79%) concentrated the majority of cases. A predominance of the 1-4 year age group (41.74%), males (56.76%), and mixed race (77.98%) was observed. Furthermore, 96.99% of hospitalizations were emergency cases. Conclusion: The findings of this study improve the understanding of the epidemiology of pediatric epilepsy in the Northeast, providing support for strengthening intervention and health surveillance policies and guiding future investigations.