Profile of neonatal epilepsies: Characteristics of a prospective US cohort.

Publication/Presentation Date

8-29-2017

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Although individual neonatal epilepsy syndromes are rare, as a group they represent a sizable subgroup of neonatal seizure etiologies. We evaluated the profile of neonatal epilepsies in a prospective cohort of newborns with seizures.

METHODS: Consecutive newborns with seizures were enrolled in the Neonatal Seizure Registry (an association of 7 US children's hospitals). Treatment and diagnostic testing were at the clinicians' discretion. Neonates with seizures related to epileptic encephalopathies (without structural brain abnormalities), brain malformations, or benign familial epilepsies were included in this analysis.

RESULTS: Among 611 consecutive newborns with seizures, 79 (13%) had epilepsy (35 epileptic encephalopathy, 32 congenital brain malformations, 11 benign familial neonatal epilepsy [BFNE], 1 benign neonatal seizures). Twenty-nine (83%) with epileptic encephalopathy had genetic testing and 24/29 (83%) had a genetic etiology. Pathogenic or likely pathogenic

CONCLUSIONS: Neonatal epilepsy is often due to identifiable genetic causes. Genetic testing is now warranted for newborns with epilepsy in order to guide management and inform discussions of prognosis.

Volume

89

Issue

9

First Page

893

Last Page

899

ISSN

1526-632X

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Pediatrics

PubMedID

28733343

Department(s)

Department of Pediatrics

Document Type

Article

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