title: Comparative clinical study of preterm and full-term newborn neonatal seizures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the characteristics of neonatal seizures between preterm and full-term infants in intensive care unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was developed with 104 high-risk newborn, 30 preterm and 74 full-term infants, with clinical seizures. The dependent variable was gestational age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fisher's exact test, odds-ratio and Mann Whitney U test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences (p<0.05): i) Premature neonates develop neonatal seizures later, probably related to the etiologies of the seizures; ii) Etiologically, there is a predominance of peri-intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm and of asphyxia in full term neonates; iii) Clonic seizures are most frequent in preterm and subtle seizures in full term neonates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the study had a clinical basis, it was possible to identify differences when the dependent variable was gestational age.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pos-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil. regholanda@digizap.com.br
authors.forename: Manoel R R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Holanda
authors.forename: Aurea N de
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Melo
mesh_terms: D001034:Apgar Score; D001724:Birth Weight; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013997:Time Factors