What Would Cause Seizures In A Newborn

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.

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Seizures In Babies: What Do They Mean

Seizures in the neonatal period are not uncommon, particularly with premature infants. Neonatal period refers to the first 28 days of life for a baby. Seizures happen when there are abnormal electrical discharges in the newborns central nervous system. These discharges can be caused by a variety of different conditions. Some of these conditions may be relatively benign or temporary, but some seizures can be related to serious medical conditions and require urgent investigation and attention.

What Is An Infant Seizure

An infant seizure, or neonatal seizure, refers to any seizures that happen during the first 28 days of an infants life, during the neonatal period. There are two categories of infant seizures subtle seizures and motor seizures.

Subtle seizures are the most common type of infant seizure. As the name suggests, they are called subtle because the seizure characteristics imitate normal behaviour in an infant. These symptoms may appear as everyday behaviours:

• Eye movements: eyes rolling up, fluttering eyelids, fixated gaze
• Mouth/Tongue movements: lip smacking, tongue protrusion or sticking out
• Limb movements: repeated movements such as pedalling with legs, swimming, thrashing movements and
• Other movements: long pauses between breathing

Because these symptoms may not be obvious as motor seizures , your medical team may recommend EEG monitoring for infants to determine if the behaviors are being caused by abnormal brain activity. Subtle seizures can be caused by an existing brain injury, and ongoing infection or an underlying health condition like cerebral palsy.

Motor Seizures are broadly defined as seizures that change muscle behaviour like muscle stiffness , repeated jerking , or muscle weakness. There are three types of seizures that are common in infants and they are categorized by the type of movements seen during the seizure:.

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Epileptic Seizures Vs Nonepileptic Seizures

Because seizures are usually the result of excessive electrical activity in the brain, they can be detected with an electroencephalogram . EEGs detect activity in the brain in the form of brain waves, which represent different brain regions working together. Electroencephalography can detect epileptic seizures while theyre occurring. Episodes with normal EEG readings are called nonepileptic seizures.

Looking After Yourself And Your Baby

Caring for a baby is hard work, and all parents need help from time to time. If you are still having seizures, it can be even more of a challenge. And you may need to put some additional safety measures in place.

It can also be hard to remember to take care of yourself when you have a baby. You might be more likely to forget to take your epilepsy medicine. And its common to have disturbed sleep. Both of these are common triggers for seizures, so its important to plan ahead and do what you can to reduce your risk of seizures.

For more information, see our tips for caring for babies and young children when you have epilepsy.

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What Can Cause Seizures In Newborns

What Can Cause Seizures In Newborns. This is called perinatal hypoxia and can. Jerking or stiffening of a leg or an arm that can alternate from one side to the other.

Seeing your baby have a seizure can be a very. A new child is a bundle of anticipation and expectations. Other causes of neonatal seizures can include infection , bleeding in the brain, hypoglycemia or other metabolic disorders, or ischemic stroke (a.

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Jerking or stiffening of a leg or an arm that can alternate from one side to the other. Some common causes of seizures in newborn infants are:

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Any illness that the child may have, including seizures, seems terrible to the parents and family. Most babies recover from a seizure without any harm.

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Of this number, up to 1.4% of term infants. Other causes of neonatal seizures can include infection , bleeding in the brain, hypoglycemia or other metabolic disorders, or ischemic stroke (a.

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Common causes of neonatal seizures include hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, intracranial haemorrhage, intracranial infections, congenital. 5 signs & symptoms of seizures in a baby.

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Jerking or stiffening of a leg or an arm that can alternate from one side to the other. It is important to recognize the deficiency because it is a very treatable cause of.

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What Can Cause A Newborn To Seizure

• Millions Recovered For The Seriously Injured

When a newborn experiences seizures, this could indicate that a birth injury occurred. Seizures typically develop in infants who were deprived of oxygen near or during labor and might be one of the first noticeable signs of a brain injury in a newborn baby. Although more often than not, seizures are caused during or around the time of labor, there are several other causes, including infections.

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Treatment Of The Cause

For low serum glucose, 10% dextrose 2 mL/kg IV is given, and the serum glucose level is monitored additional infusions are given as needed but cautiously, to avoid hyperglycemia.

For hypocalcemia, 10% calcium gluconate 1 mL/kg IV is given this dosage can be repeated for persistent hypocalcemic seizures. Rate of calcium gluconate infusion should not exceed 0.5 mL/minute continuous cardiac monitoring is necessary during the infusion. Extravasation should be avoided because skin may slough.

For hypomagnesemia, 0.2 mL/kg of a 50% magnesium sulfate solution is given IM.

Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics.

Herpes encephalitis is treated with acyclovir.

Are Infant Seizures Caused By Medical Malpractice

Seizures in a baby are not always caused by medical malpractice. Seizures can be a sign or symptom of underlying medical issues that may have been entirely unpreventable. However, in many cases the brain injury that caused the seizure could have been prevented if the expected standard of care had been provided. In these circumstances, there may be grounds for a medical malpractice claim.

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How Can I Help My Child During A Seizure

There are a few key steps to take if you think your infant is having a seizure. Parents Magazine recommends the following to keep your baby as safe as possible during a seizure :

• Make sure your infant is protected from experiencing injuries by moving hard objects out of the way.
• Gently roll your baby onto their side to help prevent choking.
• Avoid trying to open the babys mouth, putting anything in their mouth, holding them, or preventing movements .

For detailed advice on when to call 911, please see these recommendations from the CDC or the Epilepsy Foundation.

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Tests To Confirm Infant Seizure Diagnosis

The most popular test to confirm that an individual is having a seizure is an electroencephalogram . It An EEG shows normal and abnormal brain activity and patterns. It is more difficult to interpret EEGs among newborns because their brains are still developing and becoming more defined. Generally, only a trained pediatric neurologist can accurately interpret newborn EEGs.

In addition to an EEG, doctors may recommend magnetic resonance imaging with special epilepsy protocol. They may also do lab work to test for chemical or metabolic disorders. In some cases, genetic testing and chromosomal studies are helpful.

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The Risks Of Seizures In Children

Although they may look painful, seizures dont really cause pain. But they may be frightening for children and the people around them. Simple partial seizures, in which a child may have a sudden, overwhelming sense of terror, are especially frightening. One of the problems with complex partial seizures, for instance, is that people have no control of their actions. They may wind up doing inappropriate or bizarre things that upset people around them. Its also possible for children to injure themselves during a seizure if they fall to the ground or hit other things around them. But the seizures themselves are usually not harmful.

Experts dont fully understand the long-term effects of seizures on the brain. In the past, most scientists thought that seizures did not cause any damage to the brain, attributing brain damage in an individual to an underlying illness. Now, however, some doubts are beginning to emerge.

Solomon L. Moshe, MD, director of Clinical Neurophysiology and Child Neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, is researching the subject and remains cautious. I dont think its good to say one way or another whether seizures do long-term damage, he says. I think it all depends on the individual case.

Moshe notes that the brains of children are very flexible. They are perhaps the least likely people with epilepsy to suffer any brain damage from a seizure.

What Causes Seizures In Infants And Children

A high fever can sometimes cause seizures in young children. These are also called febrile convulsions.

Children can also have a seizure because of:

• a lack of oxygen to the brain

Certain triggers, such as flashing lights, can also lead to seizures in some children.

Most children wont have another seizure. But children who have repeated and unpredictable seizures might have epilepsy.

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What Does A Seizure Look Like In A Baby

Since newborns and infants cannot speak to explain how they are feeling, its important for parents and physicians to closely monitor the baby so that they can spot any unusual symptoms that may indicate a seizure disorder.

Signs of a neonatal seizure depend on what type of seizure the infant is having. Infant seizure symptoms can include things like repetitive mouth movements or chewing motions, a turning of the head or eyes to one side, sudden fear or apparent anxiety or confusion, bodily spasms or jerking of limbs, loss of consciousness or a bicycling movement in the legs.

Numerous seizure symptoms also happen to be movements an infant might make as a natural part of the growing process. For instance, babies often bend and stretch their limbs, sometimes in very odd or awkward ways. This is why its important to know how to tell if a baby is acting normally or is having a seizure.

What To Do If A Baby Is Having A Febrile Seizure

The NINDS recommends the following steps if you suspect your child is having a febrile seizure due to a fever:

• Remain calm: Observe the child for symptoms so you can give an accurate account to your doctor or medical team.
• Note the time when the seizure starts: If it lasts more than 5 minutes, call 911.
• Gently place the baby on the floor or ground: Though you want to hold a child during a convulsion, restraining them could lead to accidental injury.
• Position the baby on its side: This position will help prevent possible choking.
• Do not place anything in the babys mouth: Gently remove any objects that could obstruct the childs airway, such as pacifiers.
• Contact your pediatrician: If the seizure subsides in less than 5 minutes, contact your childs doctor for evaluation. They can treat the underlying issue causing your childs fever and check for symptoms of a more serious condition, such as meningitis.

When in doubt about the severity of your childs symptoms, call 911 for emergency care.

If your baby is in any immediate danger and has trouble breathing, turning blue, or has any lasting changes that dont go away after the seizure ends, call 911.

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What Type Of Tests May Be Done

Depending on the baby’s medical history and examination results, the doctor may order a variety of tests or procedures to look for:

• Structural abnormalities in the brain, using magnetic resonance imaging of the head with a special epilepsy protocol
• Abnormal background or electrical activity in the brain, using an EEG
• Chemical disorders or metabolic problems, using a variety of blood or urine tests
• Genetic disorders, using chromosomal studies
• Evidence of infection or metabolic disorders, or chemical disorders using a spinal tap

The best test to look for abnormalities in the structure of the brain is MRI. If an infant’s MRI scan looks normal during the first few months of life, the doctor is likely to repeat it later because some abnormalities that were not visible earlier may show up around 1 year of age.

The lumbar puncture, which is done to obtain a sample of cerebrospinal fluid, is safe and not very painful. The baby’s worst crying usually comes when the doctor cleans the skin with a cool antiseptic solution. An anesthetic cream can be used to anesthetize the skin. Intravenous sedation is sometimes used.

Why Is My Baby Having Seizures

There are a number of causes of seizures in newborns and babies. The good news is that seizures in a newborn do not necessarily mean that your baby will have epilepsy or a lifelong seizure disorder. The bad news is that seizures in your newborn does put him or her at increased risk of a seizure disorder later on.

Prematurity and low birth weight are risk factors for seizures in newborns, but most premature babies or low-birth weight babies do not have seizures.

Prematurity and low birth weight are risk factors for seizures in newborns, but most premature babies or low-birth weight babies do not have seizures. The most common causes of seizures in a newborn are:

• Oxygen deprivation before or during birth, which can cause hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy . The oxygen deprivation may be due to placental abruption, prolonged labor, or compression of the umbilical cord during labor and delivery
• Infection acquired either before or after birth, such as rubella , toxoplasmosis, bacterial meningitis, syphilis, or viral encephalitis
• Stroke suffered before, during, or after birth
• Bleeding in the brain
• Blood clot in the brain
• Abnormalities in the brain, either genetic in nature or which occurred during development of the fetus, including tuberous sclerosis
• Metabolic problems, including phenylketonuria
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Withdrawal from drugs consumed by the mother during pregnancy, such as heroin or cocaine.

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How Often To Breastfeed A Newborn At Night

If you aim to nurse every hour and a-half to two hours during the day and no less than every three hours at night, you will easily achieve the frequency that will help you establish your milk supply and ensure your baby gets enough to help stimulate weight gain.In fact, with frequent and effective nursing during the

How Do I Take Care Of A Baby Rat

Socializing: To make your baby rat comfortable, be sure to get them another rat friend or littermate. For your part, be gentle with your rat handle them carefully and, of course, use positive reinforcement. Treats always work better than punishment. Feeding baby rats: Baby rats only need milk or formula to survive.

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Can I Get Help For My Childs Seizures

If your child has been diagnosed with seizures or HIE, you may be able to file a claim. Medical professionals have a duty of care to monitor, test, and treat their patients to prevent harm. If medical records can prove that your child suffered a birth injury due to the negligence of the medical staff assisting with your delivery, you can file for compensation. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can help you examine your records for signs of negligence, file your case, and fight for compensation.

If your child suffers from seizures after a birth injury, you need the skilled help of Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys. Shrager & Sachs had been fighting for the rights of victims of medical malpractice since 1978, and we have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients. Learn more about how we can help you by contacting our firm today to schedule a free case evaluation.

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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.

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