NEONATAL SEIZURE

Course overview

NEONATAL SEIZURES ARE A COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED NEUROLOGIC CONDITION IN NEONATES. THEY ARE DEFINED AS THE OCCURRENCE OF SUDDEN, PAROXYSMAL, ABNORMAL ALTERATION OF ELECTROGRAPHIC ACTIVITY AT ANY POINT FROM BIRTH TO THE END OF THE NEONATAL PERIOD. DURING THIS PERIOD, THE NEONATAL BRAIN IS DEVELOPMENTALLY IMMATURE. THUS, NEONATAL SEIZURES HAVE UNIQUE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND ELECTROGRAPHIC FINDINGS RESULTING IN CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS THAT CAN BE DIFFERENT (AND MORE DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY) WHEN COMPARED TO OLDER AGE GROUPS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF NEONATAL SEIZURES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.