Neonatal seizures: aetiology and outcome.

Neonatal seizures occurred in 23 infants, a rate of 2.33 per 1000, 1978-81. In two infants these were due to congenital central nervous system malformation and in two infants hypocalcaemia. Hypoxic encephalopathy was the cause of the seizures in 19 infants, two of whom also suffered perinatal trauma. Pacific Island infants were overly represented in this group. The gestational age was 41, SD 1.8 weeks, birth weight 3140, SD 720 g; nine infants were 41 weeks or older although nine had unsure data and nine were small for gestational age. Despite vigorous resuscitation at birth, careful metabolic monitoring in the neonatal period and treatment with anti-convulsant medication, at follow-up evaluation 12 (67%) of the infants with hypoxic encephalopathy died or had neurologic sequelae.