EC Microbiology

Introduction: Neonatal seizures or neonatal convulsions are fits that can occur from birth to the end of the neonatal period. The most vulnerable period for developing seizures is first 1 - 2 days to the first week after delivery. The seizures in neonatal period constitute a medical emergency which often leads to serious malfunction of or damage to immature brain and is called for a neurological emergency demanding an immediate diagnosis and management. Subtle seizures are the most common ones and myoclonic seizures to be the worst one to occur in neonatal period. Multiple etiologies are known to be associated with neonatal seizures, with hypoxicischemic encephalopathy to be the most common one. Other causes such as hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia and meningitis should be ruled out and treatment should be initiated accordingly.

Aim of the Study: The aim of the review is to understand the etiology and management of neonatal seizures.

Methodology: The review is the comprehensive research of PUBMED since the year 1987 to 2013.

Conclusion: The immature brain seems to be more prone to seizures than the more mature and developed brain. That is why seizures are more common in neonatal period than during any other time of life. Seizures are also most common neurological emergency, reflect serious underlying emergency and are associated with high mortality and morbidity. EEG is gold standard for monitoring seizure and establishing diagnosis. Phenobarbitone is the first choice of medication internationally. It is effective in 50% of cases but prolonged use may be harmful thus the treatment should be initiated according to the etiology associated. Major focus should be on parents’ concerns regarding the short-term and long-term outcome. Abundant animal models show that seizures themselves disrupt the developing brain and thus there is an urgent need to develop safe, accurate and widely available method for identifying and treating neonatal seizures.

 Keywords: Neonatal Seizure; EEG; Anti-Epileptic Drugs

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