IRON AND ZINC LEVELS IN BREATH-HOLDING SPELLS

SUMMARY Breath-Holding spells are a dramatic and commonly observed clinical phenomenon in childhood. The underl- ying pathophysiologic mechanisms in breath-holding spells are result from autonomic nervous system dysregu- lation. Cerebral anoxia is the ultimate factor responsible for the loss of consciousness observed in the severe forms of breath-holding spells.It's known that, there is relation between breath-holding spells and iron-deficiency ane- mia, and the spells resolve after oral iron supplemantati- on.In children with breath-holding spells, even though without anemia, there might be different degrees of iron- deficiency.In early diagnosis of iron- deficiency, sTfR le- vel was very important. At the same time, in children with iron-deficiency ,zinc deficiency also migt be found. That's why, plasma zinc levels should be controlled in those children.