Seizures in Newborns: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Seizures in newborns can be traumatic for both parents and healthcare personnel. These instances of aberrant electrical activity in the brain may indicate an underlying health problem that necessitates immediate medical intervention. It is critical to understand the origins, symptoms, and treatment options for neonatal seizures in order to recognize and intervene early.

In this article, we will look at the complexities of infant seizures and how they can be managed.

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Causes of Seizures in Newborns

Infant seizures can occur for a variety of reasons. If a baby's brain does not receive enough oxygen and blood during birth, it might develop hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), which can induce convulsions shortly after birth.

Seizures can also be caused by infections such as meningitis, encephalitis, or sepsis during pregnancy, labor, or after birth. Seizures can be exacerbated by metabolic abnormalities such as low blood sugar, low calcium levels, and inherited metabolic issues.

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Signs of Seizures in Newborns

Two common symptoms include loss of awareness and jerking actions of the arms and legs (MART PRODUCTION/ Pexels)

Seizures in newborns and young children can be difficult to detect since they present small symptoms. Loss of awareness and jerking motions of the arms and legs are two common symptoms. Parents and caregivers must be aware of the symptoms that their children may suffer based on the type of seizure.

Subtle Seizures: Subtle seizures are most frequently detected in newborns. These signals can be difficult to spot since they resemble normal, everyday movements. Eye-rolling, blinking, staring, uncontrollable eye movements, protruding tongue, leg cycling, and extended pauses between breaths are all symptoms of mild seizures.

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Tonic Seizures: Muscle stiffness is a symptom of tonic seizures. A baby may fully stiffen, bend, and hold their arms and legs in unusual angles, keep their head to one side, or keep their eyes to one side during a tonic seizure.

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Clonic Seizures: Clonic seizures are distinguished by jerking or twitching movements. When a newborn has a clonic seizure, they may exhibit recurrent and uncontrollable jerking motions in various parts of their body, such as the face, tongue, arms, legs, and hands.

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Tonic-Clonic Seizures: Tonic-clonic seizures have two phases--the tonic phase, which is characterized by stiffness, and the clonic phase, which is characterized by jerking movements. A baby may have tonic seizure symptoms followed by clonic seizure symptoms.

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What to Do During a Baby Seizure?

It is vital to maintain the baby's safety and avoid any potential injuries if they are experiencing a seizure. The baby should be kept away from sharp objects, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke advises rolling them onto their side to avoid choking.

It is critical to avoid putting anything in the baby's mouth or attempting to stop mouth movements, as this could damage the kid (Stephen Andrews/ Pexels)

It's crucial to avoid putting anything in the baby's mouth or making any attempts to stop mouth movements because doing so could injure the child. It is crucial to dial 911 or send the child to an emergency room in life-threatening cases where the infant is having difficulty breathing, turning blue, or having convulsions that last longer than five minutes.

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Seizures in newborns can have a variety of reasons, and parents and caregivers must be aware of the signs and symptoms. When a newborn has a seizure, prompt medical assistance is critical, especially if they have difficulty breathing or the seizure lasts more than five minutes.

Understanding the distinction between reflexes and seizures might help reduce unnecessary anxiety as well. Proper diagnosis and treatment are critical for properly managing seizures in newborns and avoiding potential problems.