[Assessment of neurodevelopment in children of different gestational age with neonatal seizures]

Area of Science:

• Neonatal neurology
• Developmental pediatrics
• Pediatric neurology

Background:

• Neonatal seizures (NS) are a critical concern in infant neurodevelopment.
• Prematurity is a significant risk factor associated with NS and subsequent developmental challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychomotor development of infants with NS at a corrected age of one year.
• To analyze the impact of different gestational ages at birth on neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants with NS.

Main Methods:

• The study included 52 infants diagnosed with NS, categorized by gestational age.
• Neurodevelopment was assessed at one year corrected age using the Bayley-III scales of infant and toddler development.
• The scales evaluated cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior domains.

Main Results:

• 32.7% of infants showed no developmental delay on any Bayley-III scale.
• 44.2% of infants experienced significant developmental delay in at least one domain.
• Infants born at earlier gestational ages (≤32 weeks) exhibited higher rates of developmental delay.

Conclusions:

• A substantial proportion of infants with NS experience developmental delays by one year of age.
• Premature birth is associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental deficits in infants with NS.
• Global developmental retardation was observed in 3 infants with co-occurring cerebral palsy and epilepsy.