RESUMO -Os espasmos infantis são crises típicas da primeira infância e constituem patologia grave, com prognóstico sombrio. Apresentamos a experiência no tratamento de 13 casos novos atendidos no Serviço de Neurologia Infantil do Centro Geral de Pediatria FHEMIG de Belo Horizonte no ano de 1997, bem como revisão da literatura sobre o assunto. Após propedêutica adequada encontramos 12 casos considerados sintomáticos e 1 criptogenético. Todos os casos foram tratados com ACTH durante 6 semanas, associado a drogas antiepilépticas orais de manutenção em mono ou politerapia. Os resultados com o ACTH foram excelentes num momento inicial, com resposta completa em todos os casos e efeitos colaterais que não contra-indicaram o tratamento. Porém houve índice de recorrência de 55%, sendo usada como droga de segunda linha a vigabatrina em 5 casos, com controle de 4 deles. Todos os casos apresentaram atraso do desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: espasmos infantis, síndrome de West, ACTH. Infantile spasms: experience in thriteen casesABSTRACT -Infantile spasms are typical crisis found in the childhood being a serious pathology with an obscure prognosis. We present the experience of the Service of Neuropediatrics in the Pediatric General Center, Belo Horizonte -Brasil, during the year of 1997, with a review of the literature about. After appropriate propaedeutics, were found 12 cases considered symptomatics and 1 case cryptogenic. All these cases were treated with ACTH during 6 weeks associated with oral antiepileptic drugs in mono or polytherapy for maintenance. We had excellent results using ACTH at the beginning of the treatment, obtaining good results in all of the cases with some side effects that were not important enough to interrupt the treatment. However, there was a recurrence rate of 55% and vigabatrin was used as second option, controlling 4 of the 5 cases. All the cases showed retardation of the neuropsychomotor development.