Involving abnormal electrical activity in the brain, neonatal seizures impact babies in the first 28 days of their lives. In many instances, seizures in newborns can indicate another medical condition.
Neonatal seizures are considered a medical emergency and require timely medical treatment as a result. Here’s what new parents must know about neonatal seizures and their possible health effects.
Seizures in infants can be generalized, focal, or multi-focal. Generalized seizures impact the entire body, while focal seizures only affect one area of the body. Conversely, multi-focal seizures can affect multiple limbs. Neonatal seizures fall into the following categories:
While some seizures will be evident in an electroencephalograph test, subtle and myoclonic seizures typically do not show up on the test.
Certain medical issues and conditions can cause seizures in infants, including:
Some babies have a higher risk of experiencing a neonatal seizure than others. Babies born prematurely have a higher risk, as do babies born to mothers with diabetes and infections during the birthing process. Other maternal risk factors include first pregnancies, obesity, and prolonged labour during the second stage.
When neonatal seizures result from an underlying medical condition, doctors must treat the condition to prevent the seizures. This could involve an antibiotic regimen if the seizures resulted from an infection. Doctors may also prescribe an anticonvulsant medication to stop seizures.
In some babies, the condition resolves on its own. In others, lifelong treatment may be required to manage epilepsy, a seizure disorder. The prognosis usually depends on the cause of the seizure.