A Descriptive Study on Convulsions in Neonates With Congenital Heart Diseases at Assiut University Children Hospital

Neonatal seizures are a commonly encountered neurologic condition in neonates. They are defined as the occurrence of sudden, paroxysmal, abnormal alteration of electrographic activity at any point from birth to the end of the neonatal period. During this period, the neonatal brain is developmentally immature. Thus, neonatal seizures have unique pathophysiology and electrographic findings resulting in clinical manifestations that can be different (and more difficult to identify) when compared to older age groups.

Neonatal seizures are paroxysmal, repetitive and stereotypical events. They are usually clinically subtle, inconspicuous and difficult to recognize from the normal behaviors of the inter-ictal periods or physiological phenomena. There is no recognizable post-ictal state. The most widely used scheme is of five main types of neonatal seizure.

• Subtle seizures (50%)
• Tonic seizures (5%)
• Clonic seizures (25%)
• Myoclonic seizures (20%)
• Non-paroxysmal repetitive behaviors Neonates with congenital heart disease have a high risk of cerebral lesions, seizures, and neurological impairment. By congenital heart disease, we refer to the group of congenital malformations present at birth that include cyanotic as well as non-cyanotic cardiac lesions.

Neonatal seizures are the most common clinical expression of central nervous system dysfunction in newborns and one of the most frequent neurological emergencies during this stage of life. They are usually the first sign of neurological involvement and an indicator of the risk of mortality and/ or neurological sequelae.