The prognostic value of EEG in neonatal meningitis

EEG recordings were made polygraphically in 29 newborn infants with meningitis. Visual and auditory evoked potentials, and CT scans were also obtained in some of them. The neonatal findings of these examinations were well correlated with the clinical outcome. Background EEG activity was a good prognostic tool but could not indicate the type of complications, although persistent abnormality correlated with severe brain damage or development of complications. The polygraphically recorded EEG was of great value to diagnose the apneic seizures often encountered in neonatal meningitis.