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Serum prolactin in neonates with seizures
1Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Epilepsia
|July 1, 1995
Summary
Newborn infants with acute encephalopathy and electroencephalogram-confirmed seizures show elevated serum prolactin (PRL) levels. These prolactin levels correlate with EEG background abnormalities, indicating brain insult severity.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Neurology
- Endocrinology
- Neurophysiology
Background:
- Acute encephalopathy in newborns is a critical condition.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring is vital for diagnosing seizures in neonates.
- Serum prolactin (PRL) is a hormone with potential roles in neurological conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate serum prolactin levels in newborn infants with acute encephalopathy.
- To compare PRL levels between infants with and without electrographically confirmed seizures.
- To assess the correlation between PRL levels and EEG background abnormalities.
Main Methods:
- Serum prolactin levels were measured in 28 newborn infants with acute encephalopathy.
- Patients were divided into seizure (n=6) and nonictal (n=22) groups based on EEG findings.
- EEG background abnormalities were visually analyzed and correlated with PRL levels.
Main Results:
- Serum PRL was significantly higher at baseline and 15 minutes postictally in the seizure group compared to the nonictal group.
- PRL levels did not significantly increase in the immediate postictal period (15 and 30 min).
- Baseline PRL levels showed a significant positive correlation with the severity of EEG background abnormality.
Conclusions:
- Newborns with EEG-confirmed seizures, especially those without clear clinical signs, exhibit elevated baseline serum prolactin.
- Serum PRL levels in these infants correlate with the severity of brain insult as indicated by EEG background.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the dynamics of PRL secretion in neonatal seizures and encephalopathy.