Question
My baby has been normal until now, but I’ve noticed that he often exhibits seizure-like behaviors. I want to ask, is neonatal seizure normal?
Answer
Neonatal seizure is a symptom of dysfunction in the central nervous system caused by various different factors, one of the common emergencies in the neonatal period, often indicating a severe underlying condition. It can also lead to brain damage, commonly seen in ischemic-hypoxic encephalopathy, birth injuries, intracranial hemorrhage, central nervous system infection, brain developmental malformations, and congenital metabolic disorders. Treatment primarily focuses on addressing the primary inflammation followed by the seizure. Unless the seizure is accompanied by respiratory arrest, it is generally not necessary to use anticonvulsants during the seizure process as they are usually self-limiting and rarely harm the newborn’s life functions.