Preterm infants with video-EEG confirmed seizures: Outcome at 30 months of age

ObjectiveOur aim was to identify early predictors of poor neurodevelopmental outcome and of subsequent epilepsy in very early preterm and late preterm newborns with neonatal seizures. Study design: Fifty-one preterm infants with gestational age (GA) ⩽36 weeks were identified among those admitted to the NICU of University Hospital of Parma between January 1999 and December 2003 and prospectively followed-up. They were subdivided in two Groups: early preterm newborns with a GA ⩽29 weeks and those with GA between 30 and 36 weeks. Selection criteria included multiple digital-video-EEG confirmed neonatal seizures and a follow-up of at least 30 months. Independent variables considered for analysis included neonatal risk factors, etiology and type of seizures, EEG activity, and cerebral ultrasound scan examinations. Results: Ten infants had a favorable outcome, 17 died, and 23 had an adverse outcome. One infant was lost on follow-up. Apgar score at 1 min (O.R. = 15.457, 95% CI: 2.236–106.850, p = 0.006) and severely abnormal background EEG activity (O.R. = 8.298, 95% CI: 1.316–52.301, p = 0.024) were independent predictors of abnormal outcome. Nine infants presented post-neonatal epilepsy. Severely abnormal Cerebral Ultrasound scans were predictive of epilepsy (O.R. = 13.72, 95% CI: 1.959–96.149, p = 0.008). Conclusions: Neonatal seizures in preterm infants are associated to a high rate of mortality and severe morbidity in survivors but no definitive differences between the two groups of preterm infants were found. Risk-factors for development of subsequent epilepsy are strongly related to the underlying brain damage.