Clinico- Biochemical Profile of Neonatal Seizure

Abstract

Objectives: The present study was undertaken to study the incidence, etiological factor, and days of onset, clinical types and biochemical abnormalities in babies having neonatal seizures. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, observational hospital based study. Ninety neonates, who developed seizures before 28 days of life and admitted to neonatal intensive care unit and nursery with neonatal seizure, were evaluated for incidence, etiological factor, clinical types and biochemical abnormalities found in neonatal seizure. The variables were analysed using Chi-Square and student t-test. Results: The incidence of neonatal seizure was 10.3/ 1000 live births. The seizures were common in male babies. 65 (72.2%) neonates were born to multiparous women while 35 (38%) were born to primigravidas. In birth asphyxia (n= 40), the most common type of seizure observed was subtle seizure 20 (50%), followed by focal clonic 10 (25%) and multifocal clonic 5 (12.5%). Tonic type of seizure was observed in 3 (7.5%) and myoclonic in 2 (5%). Meningitis and septicaemia was the second most common cause of neonatal seizure observed in our study. Among metabolic abnormalities hypoglycaemia was found in 20 (22%) and hypocalcaemia in 10 (11%). Conclusion: The commonest cause of seizure was birth asphyxia presenting within 72 hours of life. Among infection septicaemia and meningitis was the most common cause leading to neonatal seizure. Among biochemical abnormalities the most common cause of seizure observed in our study was hypoglycaemia and hypocalcaemia. Subtle seizures were the commonest type of seizure observed in this study.

Clinico-Biochemical Abnormalities in Hospitalized Neonates with or without Seizure

“…The most common cause of seizure encountered in this study was birth asphyxia, occurred in 34 (56.67%) cases. Sood et al, 4 Kumar et al, 5 and Shah et al 11 reported birth asphyxia as etiology of seizure was 45.71%, 48.27% and 44% cases respectively which are comparable with the result of present study. Similar observation seen by Mizrahi where HIE as the cause of convulsion in 46% cases 19 .…”

“…Neonatal seizure is an acute emergency which is responsible for very high morbidity and mortality 10,11 . Neonatal seizure observed more in male patient (61.67%) than female (38.33%) in this study which is consistent with study done by Taksande AM et al 10 showed 66.4% male and 33.6% in female newborn.…”

“…Ross et al 14 showed 9.5% babies had septicemia. Shah et al 11 and Taksande AM et al 10 both of the study reported about 20% cases suffered from infection; sepsis and meningitis combined. These results are concordance with our study where sepsis were diagnosed in 13.33% cases and meningitis in 11.67% cases of neonates with seizure.…”

“…babies respectively. Shah et al 11 reported 42.2% subtle, 44.4% clonic, 11.1% tonic and 2.2% myoclonic seizures in a observational study conducted in Nepal. Coen RW et al 16 found 81% of babies had early onset seizures (< 72 hrs).…”

Clinical and Electroencephalographic Profile Of Children

“…This is in alignment with published report that the seizures are common in male. 5,6 In male, most common age group was between one to five years followed by six to 12 years. There is report saying that seizures have peak frequency of age at onset in two to five years which is similar to our study.…”