Neonatal Seizures in a Tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Introduction: Seizures are frequent in the neonatal period. They can be idiopathic, be caused by organic brain anomalies or by metabolicdisturbances.Objective: Evaluation of the etiologic diagnosis and clinical evolution of the newborns with neonatal seizures admitted at one tertiaryneonatal intensive care unit.Material and Methods: Retrospective review of the clinical files of the newborns with neonatal seizures, during a period of eight years.Results: Neonatal seizures occurred in 91 cases. Seventy nine (86.8%) received anticonvulsant therapy during clinical seizure. Imageand/or electrophysiological studies were performed in the majority of newborns (86.8%). Etiology was identified in 51.6% of the 91cases studied, being the more frequent situations: central nervous system bleeding (11 cases), hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (10cases) and electrolytes disturbances (7 cases). Mortality rate was 16.5%. The newborns followed in our hospital had good neurodevelopment,in 70.2% of cases but in 10.6% was detected important neurodevelopment impairment, including cerebral palsy.Conclusions: Anomalies in the cranial ultrasound and in the electroencephalography were correlated with clinical evolution. They stillare first line exams in the initial approach to this pathology.