Seizures in the newborn and young infants

The electro-clinical features of neonatal seizures were described. Although they were usually secondary to the underlying pathological process, there were a few cases of benign familial convulsions which seemed to be dominantly inherited. In the new born, clinical seizures occurred mainly in active-REM sleep in contrast to those in the older children and adults. Atypical seizures were also seen in young infants, although less frequently than in the newborn. There were a considerable number of epilepsies beginning in the first year of life associated with a favorable prognosis. Unclassified epilepsies manifesting as brief generalized motor seizures with normal interictal EEGs showed the most favorable outlook, while infantile spasms and other secondary generalized epilepsies had the worst outcome. Partial seizures were intermediate between the above two.