Epilepsy in newborns

Epilepsy can appear at any time and in any person, even in a newborn. A brain damage prenatal crisis may produce seizures in the first few minutes of life of a baby, although the absence of oxygen in the brain is usually one of the most frequent causes of perinatal seizures .

According to the Educational Foundation and the International Epilepsy Program, other risk factors that can cause brain damage in the child are: the large dimension of the fetus (macrosomia), pelvic narrowing of the mother, umbilical cord tangled around the neck , detachment of the placenta, application of forceps and prematurity of the newborn.

A premature baby is more predisposed to inadequate oxygenation at birth and during the first days of life. In the opinion of the experts, "the combined immaturity of the lungs and, especially, of the cerebral system of initiation and maintenance of ventilation (respiration), are enhanced to increase various forms of brain damage. On the other hand, premature babies have a high probability of suffering brain bleeding that can have fatal consequences or lead to a neurological injury severe This will lead to cerebral palsy and / or catastrophic epilepsy. "

 

 


The brain of a newborn and external factors

According to researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in the United States, the developing brain is vulnerable to many types of injuries. The maternal infections , poor nutrition and lack of oxygen are some of the conditions that can affect the brain of a newborn .

About 20% of epileptic seizures in children are due to cerebral palsy or other neurological abnormalities. Abnormalities in the genes that control development can also contribute to the onset of epilepsy. Advanced imaging techniques of the brain have revealed that some cases of epilepsy that occur without apparent cause may be associated with areas of epilepsy. dysplasia in the brain that probably occurred before birth.

Even though epilepsy has no cure , the disease usually disappears in some people. One study found that children with idiopathic epilepsy or epilepsy of unknown cause had between 68% and 92% chance of do not suffer seizures 20 years after being diagnosed. The chances of being free from epileptic seizures are not as good for adults or for children with severe epileptic syndromes; however, it is possible that epileptic seizures may diminish or even stop over time. This is more likely to happen if the epilepsy has been well controlled with medication or if the person has had surgery to treat the disease.


Video Medicine: The Ketogenic Diet: A Cure for Tyler's Epilepsy (March 2024).