[Seckel's syndrome]

The case of a girl with Seckel syndrome, born of an epileptic mother who was taking anticonvulsant drugs, is reported. The patient, admitted to our clinic for short stature, presented some signs of Seckel syndrome: microcephaly, a "bird headed" profile with receding chin and forehead and large beaked nose. Microcephaly and a low birth weight are present in Seckel syndrome, but also in the newborn of epileptic mothers who received anticonvulsive drugs. In the present paper the Authors questioned if the described syndrome was caused by the use of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy, or epilepsy of the mother, or if it was casual.