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Published on: August 25, 2014
Association Between Neonatal Seizures and Social-Emotional Development and Adaptive Behavior in Extremely Low Birth
Benjamin Courchia1,2, Michelle D Berkovits1,2, Waleed Kurtom1
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Holtz Children's Hospital, FL, USA.
Insights
Neonatal seizures in extremely low birth weight infants are linked to poorer social-emotional development and adaptive behaviors. This finding underscores the critical impact of seizures on early functional outcomes in vulnerable newborns.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants are at high risk for neurodevelopmental challenges.
- Neonatal seizures are a significant concern in this population, potentially impacting long-term outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of neonatal seizures on social-emotional development and adaptive behavior in ELBW infants.
- To compare developmental outcomes between ELBW infants with and without neonatal seizures.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of ELBW infants (≤1000 g) diagnosed with neonatal seizures via continuous video electroencephalography.
- Infants were evaluated at 21–31 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Bayley-III).
- Matched control group of ELBW infants without clinical seizure signs was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- Infants with neonatal seizures (n=19) showed significantly lower social-emotional development scores (-14.8 points, P=.05) compared to controls (n=38).
- Adaptive behavior scores were also significantly lower in the seizure group (-10.8 points, P<.01).
- Multivariate analysis confirmed these negative associations.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal seizures are associated with impaired social-emotional development and adaptive behaviors in ELBW infants.
- These findings highlight a negative correlation between neonatal seizures and functional development in this high-risk group.
- Early identification and intervention for neonatal seizures may be crucial for optimizing neurodevelopmental trajectories.
Aim:
To evaluate social-emotional development and adaptive behavioral outcomes in a cohort of extremely low birth weight infants with a confirmed diagnosis of neonatal seizures.
Methods:
This is a retrospective cohort study of preterm infants weighing ≤1000 g at birth, with a diagnosis of neonatal seizures, evaluated between 21 and 31 months of age using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Bayley-III) in a longitudinal neurodevelopmental follow-up program. Seizures were diagnosed using continuous video electroencephalography interpreted by a pediatric neurologist.
Results:
Nineteen infants meeting criteria were included and were matched with 38 control subjects, without clinical signs of seizures, and similar baseline characteristics. Multivariate analysis revealed significantly lower social-emotional development (-14.8 points; P = .05) and adaptive behavior scores (-10.8 points; P < .01) on the Bayley III in children with seizures compared to controls without clinical signs of seizure.Interpretation: Seizures are associated with impaired adaptive behavior and social-emotional development in this cohort of extremely low birth weight infants. These results highlight the negative association between neonatal seizures and functional development.
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