The Etiology, Clinical Type, and Short Outcome of Seizures in NewbornsHospitalized in Besat Hospital/Hamadan/ Iran

OBJECTIVE: Seizures in neonates are very different from those of older children and adults. The aim of this study was to determine the etiology, clinical presentation, and outcome of seizures in hospitalized neonates of Besat Hospital, Hamadan, Iran. MATERIAL & METHODS: In this retrospective study, we evaluated all neonates with seizures (aged 0-28 days) admitted to the Besat hospital, Hamadan, over a period of three years from September 2008 to September 2011. The data were obtained from hospital records and analyzed using SPSS 12. RESULTS: Seizures were reported in 102/1112 (9.1%) neonatal admissions. Among neonates with seizures, 57% were male and 23.5% were preterm. The mean birth weight was 2936±677 grams and the mean gestational age was 37.60±1.94 weeks. 16.7% of them were LBW and 2.9% VLBW. In terms of seizure type, subtle seizures were observed in 38.2%, tonic in 29.4%, clonic in 26.4%, and myoclonic in 5.9% of cases. The main diagnosis in neonates with seizures included hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (34.3%), infections (24.4%), intracranial hemorrhage (6.9%), hypoglycemia (5.9%), hypocalcemia (2.9%), inborn error of metabolism (1%), and unknown cause (24.5%). The mortality rate was 14.7%. CONCLUSION: Neonatal seizures indicate a significant underlying disease. HIE was the most common cause of neonatal seizures in our study. Therefore, efforts should be made to improve care during childbirth.