What Causes Seizures In Newborn Babies

Diagnosing Epilepsy In New

If its suspected that your baby might have epilepsy, its important they are referred to a specialist. This should be a doctor who has specialist training in diagnosing and treating epilepsy in this age group. The specialist will ask whether:

• There are any changes in your babys behaviour
• All the seizures look the same, and last the same length of time
• The seizures happen while the baby is awake or asleep, or both
• The seizures are caused by changes in the babys posture, or when they are doing different things
• The seizures interfere with, or stop, the babys activities, such as feeding
• You can stop the seizures after they have started

You could help the specialist by recording any behaviour changes on your mobile phone. The specialist may arrange for some, or all of, the following tests:

• Blood and urine tests. These are to check the babys general health, and to look for any medical conditions that might be causing their seizures. They can also be used to find out if the seizures are not caused by epilepsy, but another medical condition. An example would be low blood sugar or low calcium levels

What Possible Treatments Are There For Infant Seizures

According to Core Curriculum for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing: Fifth Edition, patient care management for infant seizures involves the following, in sequential order :

• Determining the cause of the seizures
• Obtaining diagnostic studies as ordered
• Providing pharmaceutical therapy

If the cause of seizures is HIE, cooling therapy is initiated.

The most common treatment for seizures is anti-seizure medications. These may also be referred to as antiepileptic drugs or AEDs. There are many types of AED that may be prescribed, depending on age, type of seizure, frequency of seizure, and other variables. Narrow spectrum AEDs are designed for specific types of seizures occurring in a certain part of the brain. Broad spectrum AEDs can prevent seizures that occur in multiple parts of the brain. Healthline provides more detailed information about AED types.

Some children with seizures may benefit from cannabidiol oil, which is derived from the cannabis plant, but does not have the psychogenic effects associated with strains used as a recreational drug. Many patients report fewer overall side effects from CBD than other seizure medications. To learn more about this treatment, click here.

In some cases, doctors may also recommend the ketogenic diet, which is high in protein and fat, and low in carbohydrates. The ketogenic diet causes the childs body to produce ketones, which help to control seizures.

Michigan Birth Injury Lawyers With A National Presence

Newborn seizures can be an indication of serious neurological damage from a number of birth-related injuries. If your baby or child suffers from seizures that began around the time of birth, contact Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers. Our award-winning attorneys have helped dozens of children affected by seizures. Jesse Reiter, the firms president, has been focusing on birth injury cases his entire legal career, and most of Jesses cases involve helping children who have seizure disorders, cerebral palsy, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy .

To find out if you have a case, contact our firm to speak with an experienced lawyer. We are based in Michigan, but handle cases all over the United States. Additionally, our team handles cases involving military hospitals and federally-funded clinics.

Free Case Review | Available 24/7 | No Fee Until We Win

Phone : 888-419-2229

You May Like: What Temp Should Bath Water Be For Newborn

Read Also: How Often Do Newborns Wake Up At Night

Whats The Difference Between Infantile Spasms And The Startle Reflex

While infantile spasms can look similar to a normal startle reflex in babies, theyre different.

The startle reflex happens when a loud sound or sudden movement startles your baby. They typically throw their head back and extend their arms and legs with the palms of their hands facing upward. They may also cry and often pull their arms and legs back in.

This chart can help you tell the difference between infantile spasms and the startle reflex.

Hypoxic Ischemic Brain Injury

Perhaps the most common cause of infant seizures is a brain injury caused by hypoxic ischemia during labour and delivery. These types of hypoxic-ischemic events happen when the fetus suffers reduced blood flow, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain, during labour and delivery. The loss of oxygen to the brain, if it goes on long enough, can cause a permanent brain injury known as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE. HIE is a preventable injury and is one of the most common grounds for birth injury medical malpractice claims.

You May Like: How To Cure Newborn Acne

If You Suspect Medical Malpractice May Have Caused Your Babys Seizures

Unfortunately, it is often not clear right away what has caused seizures in a newborn. Obviously, your first focus must be on your childs health, and making sure he or she has any treatment needed to avoid ongoing problems.

If you suspect that your babys seizures may have been caused by medical malpractice, like an obstetrician who failed to detect fetal distress and allowed labor to go on too long, there are steps you should take along with pursuing a diagnosis and treatment. Consult with an experienced Oregon medical malpractice attorney to review your options. If medical malpractice was indeed to blame for your childs seizures, you may be entitled to compensation that will help you to pay for their treatment and, if necessary, their ongoing care.

At Huegli Fraser, we know that even caring for a newborn without health issues can be exhausting. The stress that comes along with worrying about your childs health and future makes it worse. Our attorneys are both skilled and compassionate, and will do everything possible to help you secure your childs future and reduce the stress that goes along with it. We invite you to contact our law office to schedule a consultation.

Seizures In Infants: An Overview

Finding out your baby is having seizures can be very scary. You probably have more questions than you can process. Arming yourself with knowledge is the best thing you can do for your infant, your loved ones, and yourself. The right knowledge will allow you to work with your medical team to give your little one the best possible outlook for the future.

Also Check: When To Use Gas Drops Newborn

Neonatal Seizures What Causes Seizures In A Newborn And Is A Seizure The Sign Of Medical Malpractice

Neonatal seizures are caused by abnormal and excessive electrical activity in the brain. Most seizures occur within the first week of a babys life, and they often are a result of a birth injury that transpired during delivery. The injuries causing seizures can be avoidable thus when they occur, they may be a result of negligent care during the birth process.

If negligent care was administered during delivery, or if a doctor, nurse, or other medical personnel failed to address a neonatal seizure and your child suffered a permanent injury, your child may be entitled to compensation for the pain and suffering, damages, and other injuries that result .

We can help in cases of suspected birth injury due to medical malpractice. We retain physicians and other medical experts to carefully review the medical charts and other matters associated with the cases of our clients. If it appears that medical malpractice likely occurred, we pursue healthcare providers for the full damages caused by their negligence.

We advance the costs of litigation these costs are then typically repaid through a settlement or successful trial award. We represent clients in birth injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that we are only entitled to a fee if we are successful in obtaining compensation.

What Should I Do If My Baby Has A Seizure

Its critical to seek medical attention if your baby is having a seizure. As a parent, guardian, or caretaker you can take the following steps to help an infant who is experiencing a seizure:

• If you are in the hospital, call a nurse or doctor. If you are home, call 911
• Stay with your baby until the seizure is over
• Time how long the seizure episode lasted
• Place the baby on a soft surface, protect the babies head, and have the baby turned to the side to keep airway passages clear
• Do not put anything in the babys mouth.

You May Like: Why Is My Newborn Not Pooping

What Are Infantile Spasms

Infantile spasms are a rare type of childhood epilepsy affecting approximately 1 in 2,000 infants and children in the U.S. each year. The spasms are tiny seizures that can have a big impact on a babys development. Infantile spasms most often begin when a baby is 3 to 12 months old.

Infantile spasms can cause serious, permanent changes to a childâs developing brain without early diagnosis and treatment. Medication or surgery often stops the spasms, but some children are at risk for other types of seizures later in life. If children are treated quickly and successfully, they are more likely to have healthy development.

Neonatal Seizure: What Is The Cause

A 7 day old girl presented with a one day history of decreased feeding, lethargy, and shaking of her extremities. She was born at term by normal vaginal delivery. She did not have a fever and there were no maternal risk factors for sepsis. She was hypotonic and minimally responsive on examination, with no signs of focal neurology.

Urea, electrolytes, calcium, and glucose values were normal. She was started empirically on intravenous antibiotics and aciclovir after full septic screen. She was ventilated and given an infusion of midazolam because her generalised clonic seizures with apnoea failed to respond to intravenous phenobarbital. Her seizures finally responded and she was extubated after 24 hours she was maintained on regular phenobarbital with good effect.

Urgent neuroimaging was arranged because of her acute presentation with seizures and a history of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in her mother and maternal uncle.

Fig 1 Sagittal T1 weighted magnetic resonance image of the brain

Fig 2 Axial T1 weighted magnetic resonance image of the brain

Don’t Miss: What Wipes Are Best For Newborn

Learn What To Do If A Child Has A Seizure With These Steps For Seizure First Aid

Approximately 4-5% of all children will experience a seizure at some point during their childhood. About 1% of children are diagnosed with epilepsy, and 1 in 26 people develop this neurological condition during their lifetime.

Given these statistics, itâs vital for everyone to know what steps to take if they see a person having a seizure.

Seizures are common, and while a seizure may never happen to you or to a member of your family, itâs good for everybody to know what to do in case of a seizure.

Also Check: How Much Does It Cost To Adopt A Newborn

Can Subsequent Febrile Seizures Be Prevented

The majority of children with febrile seizures to not need medication. Experts recommend that children who have experienced a febrile seizure not take any antiseizure medication to prevent future seizures, as the side effects of these daily medications outweigh any benefits. This is especially true since most febrile seizures are brief and harmless.

Children especially prone to febrile seizures may be treated with medication, such as diazepam, when they have a fever. This medication may lower the risk of having another febrile seizure. It is usually well tolerated, although it occasionally can cause drowsiness, a lack of coordination, or hyperactivity. Children vary widely in their susceptibility to such side effects.

A child whose first febrile seizure is a prolonged one does not necessarily have a higher risk of having reoccurring prolonged seizures. But if they do have another seizure, it is likely to be prolonged. Because very long febrile seizures are associated with the potential for injury and an increased risk of developing epilepsy, some doctors may prescribe medication to these children to prevent prolonged seizures. The parents of children who have experienced a long febrile may wish to talk to their doctor about this treatment option.

Read Also: When Can Newborns Sleep Through The Night

Birth Injury Attorneys In Fort Lauderdale

When you check into the hospital, you entrust healthcare professionals with the safety of you and your child. When this trust is betrayed, serious injuries can occur. At Schlesinger Law Offices, P.A., we are dedicated to helping injury victims. With more than 60 years of combined experience, you can be confident in our ability to pursue compensation on your behalf.

Contact our office today at 467-8800 to schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable member of our team.

How Are Infantile Spasms Treated

The main goals of treatment for infantile spasms are to stop or control the spasms and to treat the cause, if possible.

The main therapies to stop and/or manage spasms include:

• Adrenocorticotropic hormone : ACTH is a hormone your pituitary gland releases that plays a large role in how your body responds to stress. The release of ACTH triggers your adrenal glands to produce cortisol, the stress hormone. ACTH for the treatment of spasms is a synthetic form of the hormone thats given as a shot . Your child will receive the first doses in the hospital so their healthcare provider can closely monitor them for any side effects. As your child will continue needing ACTH shots for about six weeks, their healthcare provider will give you instructions on how to give your child the injections at home.
• Oral prednisolone: This medication is a synthetic form of a corticosteroid hormone made by your adrenal gland. It works well for the treatment of infantile spasms and can be used when there are problems with access to ACTH.
• Vigabatrin : This is an anti-seizure medication. Its taken by mouth as a pill or liquid.

If your child doesn’t respond to either hormone treatments or vigabatrin, further treatment options include:

• The ketogenic diet.
• Other anti-seizure medicine.
• Epilepsy surgery when theres a focalized lesion thats causing the infantile spasms.

Recommended Reading: What Shots Do Newborn Puppies Need

Etiology Of Neonatal Seizure Disorders

The abnormal central nervous system electrical discharge may be caused by a

• Primary intracranial process

• Systemic problem

Seizures resulting from an intracranial process usually cannot be differentiated from seizures resulting from a systemic problem by their clinical features .

Neonatal seizures may be familial some have genetic causes. Benign familial neonatal convulsions is a potassium channelopathy inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. Early infantile epileptic encephalopathy is a rare disorder associated with a variety of mutations.

Signs And Symptoms Of Seizures In Babies

Infant seizures can be challenging to recognize since they are short and subtle. In addition, symptoms of a seizure may vary according to the type of seizure. Most babies may have seizures when they are awake. However, some babies can have sleep seizures at night or during a daytime nap. Any type of seizure can occur during sleep and often impact the quality of sleep in babies.

Subtle seizures that are seizures without tonic or clonic movements are common in full-term babies. Symptoms of subtle seizures in infants may include :

• Sudden eye movements such as eyes rolling up, wide opening of eyes, and staring
• Eyelid blinking or fluttering

Symptoms of tonic seizures in infants may include:

• Muscle stiffness or tightening
• Turns head or eyes to one side
• Stretch or bend one or both arms or legs

Symptoms of clonic seizures may include:

• Rhythmic jerking movements of various muscles involving the tongue, face, legs, and arms

Symptoms of myoclonic seizures may include:

• Quick and single jerking movements of the whole body or one arm or leg

Some symptoms of infant seizure can be similar to normal behaviors and movements. Therefore, you may seek medical care to diagnose and treat seizures in infants.

You May Like: What Do You Need For A Newborn

Epilepsy Seizures And Seizure Disorders

Please know that the HIE Help Center is owned by a medical malpractice law firm that focuses on cases involving HIE and other birth injuries. We try to provide useful medical information to our readers, but we cannot provide treatments or medical advice. If you think your child may be having a seizure, please call 911/your countrys emergency number or your doctor.

One of the most common signs that a baby might have hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is the presence of seizures after birth. These can cause involuntary jerking motions and visible symptoms, but in some cases, the signs are very subtle. The best way to detect a baby having a seizure is using an EEG monitor to look for abnormal electrical activity in the brain. About half of newborn seizures are subtle seizures, which can be hard to see. An additional quarter of infant seizures are clonic seizures, marked by a slow rhythmic jerking or twitching of one body part. 5% of infants have tonic seizures, marked by sustained contractions, sometimes accompanied by rolling eyes and apnea. The most severe type of seizures is myoclonic, because myoclonic seizures indicate very severe brain damage. These are marked by very fast twitching or jerking, and are most often found in premature babies.

Seizures can actually worsen brain damage in cases of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

What Does An Infant Seizure Look Like Compare Baby

Another sign is when somebody parts, symptoms, Testing is essential to confirm the diagnosis of a seizure disorder.If your child has a seizure, These seizures are the most common type of infant seizures and are usually caused by a fever above 102 degrees, and their eyes may roll, A seizure usually affects how a person looks or acts for a short time, there are a few things you can do to help doctorsWhat are the Signs of Infant Seizures?Signs and Symptoms of Infant Seizures, Often several spasms occur over a few minutes, neck or upper arms start jerking in clusters severally it means that the infant is having a seizure known as myoclonic seizures, this seizure is a common type that attacks infants, It is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system.

Dont Miss: How Much Formula Do I Give My Newborn

Read Also: What Shots Are Required For Newborns