title: Epileptic encephalopathy in children with risk factors for brain damage.
abstract: In the study of 887 new born infants with prenatal and perinatal risk factors for brain damage, 11 children with West syndrome that progressed into Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and another 4 children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome that had not been preceded by West syndrome were found. In this study we present the main findings of these 15 subjects. In all infants multifactor antecedents were detected. The most frequent risk factors were prematurity and severe asphyxia; however placenta disorders, sepsis, and hyperbilirubinemia were also frequent. In all infants MRI direct or secondary features of periventricular leukomalacia were observed. Followup of all infants showed moderate to severe neurodevelopmental delay as well as cerebral palsy. It is concluded that prenatal and perinatal risk factors for brain damage are very important antecedents that should be taken into account to follow up those infants from an early age in order to detect and treat as early as possible an epileptic encephalopathy.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación en Neurodesarrollo, Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, ORO, Mexico.
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ricardo-Garcell
authors.forename: Thalía
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harmony
authors.forename: Eneida
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Porras-Kattz
authors.forename: Miguel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Colmenero-Batallán
authors.forename: Jesús E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Barrera-Reséndiz
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Bouzas
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cruz-Rivero