ABSTRACT
Neonatal seizures may be the first sign of cerebral dysfunction in the newborn, and may alert the clinician to the presence of an underlying neurological injury, and=or possibly reversible systemic disorder. These symptomatic seizures represent the majority of seizures in the neonate, although epileptic syndromes, both benign and ‘‘malignant’’ may also present at this age. The precise incidence of neonatal seizures is unknown and estimates vary depending on a number of factors, including the retrospective or prospective nature of the data reported, the definition used to define a neonatal seizure, and the source of diagnostic information. Estimates range from 1.8=1000 live births up to 5.1=1000 live births.
