Neonatal Encephalopathy and the Long-Term Effects of Seizures

Acute seizures are a common complication of neonatal encephalopathy (NE). Several studies have demonstrated that neonatal seizures are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes after NE, but an independent causal relationship has not been established. These authors conducted a prospective cohort study of infants born at 36 or more weeks and diagnosed with NE in the first 6 hours after birth. Patients were treated with therapeutic hypothermia, when indicated, and had continuous electroencephalography for at least 48 hours, brain MRI within 5 days after birth, and neurodevelopmental follow-up. The primary aim was to identify possible relationships between neonatal seizure burden (SB) and neurodevelopmental profile at 18 months using…