title: Severe asymptomatic maternal antepartum hyponatremia leading to neonatal seizures: prevention is better than cure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pre-delivery maternal electrolyte derangements may reflect themselves in the newborn, since placental homeostasis determines electrolyte equilibrium between mother and fetus.
  
  
  METHODS
  A term newborn, transferred to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 1 h after birth for an apnoea episode, presented with initially left-sided, and subsequently generalized tonic-clonic seizures due to severe hyponatremia (119 mmol/L). Seizures rapidly ceased after electrolyte correction plus a phenobarbital bolus. Deep hyponatremia was also detected in the mother (123 mmol/L).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As placental homeostasis determines electrolytes equilibrium between mother and fetus, obstetrics and neonatologists should be aware that any maternal dyselectrolytemia will reflect itself in the newborn; hence, it is fundamental to detect possible maternal electrolyte imbalances before delivery, in order to be prepared to timely correction of electrolyte derangements in the newborn.
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman and Child Health, Medical School, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valerio
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman and Child Health, Medical School, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fantinato
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman and Child Health, Medical School, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Irene Alba Beatrice
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Giovannini
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman and Child Health, Medical School, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baraldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman and Child Health, Medical School, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiandetti
keywords: Hyponatremia; Intensive care; Neonatal seizures; Neonatology; Newborn; Obstetrics