The relationship of neonatal subclinical electrographic seizures to neurodevelopmental outcome at 1 year of age

Abstract

Objective. To evaluate the influence of ‘only electroencephalographic (EEG)’ and ‘EEG plus clinical’ seizures during neonatal period on neurodevelopment of the infants.

Patients and methods. The long-term digital-video- EEG tracings of the first 3 days of life of 30 neonates were assessed. The babies were subdivided into three groups: Group 1 had neither EEG nor clinical seizures. Group 2 had EEG seizures but no clinical seizures. Group 3 experienced both EEG and clinical seizures. The groups were compared in regard to psychomotor retardation and epilepsy at corrected age of 1 year.

Results. The mean birthweight was 1952.50 ± 978.74 (685–4103) g. The mean gestational age was 32.53 ± 4.26 (24–40) weeks. In regard to sex, gestational age and birth weight, there was no significant difference between the three groups. Ten percent of newborns in Group 1 and 53.8% of newborns in Group 3 had psychomotor retardation. No babies in Group 2 experienced psychomotor retardation. The differences between the Groups 1 and 3 and Groups 2 and 3 were found statistically significant. Only one baby in Group 3 had epilepsy. In Groups 1 and 2, no babies had epilepsy. The differences between the groups were not significant.

Conclusion. Neonatal seizures, but not silent EEG seizures are in relationship with poor neurodevelopmental outcome evaluated at corrected age of 1 year in newborns.

Keywords:

• Newborn
• electrographic seizures
• neurodevelopmental outcome