title: Paroxysmal disorders in infancy and their risk factors in a population-based cohort: the Generation R Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the incidence of paroxysmal epileptic and non-epileptic disorders and the associated prenatal and perinatal factors that might predict them in the first year of life in a population-based cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study from early fetal life onwards. Information about the occurrence of paroxysmal events, defined as suddenly occurring episodes with an altered consciousness, altered behaviour, involuntary movements, altered muscle tone, and/or a changed breathing pattern, was collected by questionnaires at the ages of 2, 6, and 12 months. Information on possible prenatal and perinatal determinants was obtained by measurements and questionnaires during pregnancy and after birth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Information about paroxysmal events in the first year of life was available in 2860 participants (1410 males, 1450 females). We found an incidence of paroxysmal disorders of 8.9% (n=255) in the first year of life. Of these participants, 17 were diagnosed with febrile seizures and two with epilepsy. Non-epileptic events included physiological events, apnoeic spells, loss of consciousness by causes other than epileptic seizures or apnoeic spells, parasomnias, and other events. Preterm birth (p<0.001) and low Apgar score at 1 minute (p<0.05) were significantly associated with paroxysmal disorders in the first year of life. Continued maternal smoking during pregnancy and preterm birth were significantly associated with febrile seizures in the first year of life (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paroxysmal disorders are frequent in infancy. They are associated with preterm birth and a low Apgar score. Epileptic seizures only form a minority of the paroxysmal events in infancy. In this study, children whose mothers continued smoking during pregnancy had a higher reported incidence of febrile seizures in the first year of life. These findings may generate various hypotheses for further investigations.
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Department of Biostatistics and Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annemarie M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: Vincent W V
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Jaddoe
authors.forename: Lidia R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Arends
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tiemeier
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: Henriette A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: Eric A P
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Steegers
authors.forename: Monique M B
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Breteler
authors.forename: Willem F M
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Arts
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018672:Community Health Planning; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires