title: Neonatal seizures and postneonatal epilepsy: a 7-y follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Seizures are one of the most common symptoms of acute neurological disorders in newborns. This study aimed at evaluating predictors of epilepsy in newborns with neonatal seizures.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited consecutively 85 neonates with repeated neonatal video-electroencephalogram (EEG)-confirmed seizures between January 1999 and December 2004. The relationship between clinical, EEG, and ultrasound (US) data in the neonatal period and the development of postneonatal epilepsy was investigated at 7 y of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen patients (17.6%) developed postneonatal epilepsy. Partial or no response to anticonvulsant therapy (odds ratio (OR) 16.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.8-155.8, P = 0.01; OR 47, 95% CI: 5.2-418.1, P < 0.01, respectively), severely abnormal cerebral US scan findings (OR: 5.4; 95% CI: 1.1-27.4; P < 0.04), severely abnormal EEG background activity (OR: 9.5; 95% CI: 1.6-54.2; P = 0.01), and the presence of status epilepticus (OR: 6.1; 95% CI: 1.8-20.3; P < 0.01) were found to be predictors of epilepsy. However, only the response to therapy seemed to be an independent predictor of postneonatal epilepsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neonatal seizures seem to be related to postneonatal epilepsy. Recurrent and prolonged neonatal seizures may act on an epileptogenic substrate, causing further damage, which is responsible for the subsequent clinical expression of epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology, University Hospital of Parma, Italy. francesco.pisani@unipr.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pisani
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Piccolo
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cantalupo
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Copioli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pelosi
authors.forename: Carlo Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Tassinari
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seri
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001724:Birth Weight; D002648:Child; D004453:Echoencephalography; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants