A three-day International Conference on Epilepsy in Neonates and Infants concluded on Sunday with a special workshop on Electro-Encephalogram (EEG) in infants for accurate detection and analysis of seizure and epilepsy.
The workshop titled ‘EEG in the first year of Life – from newborn to toddler’ was led by International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE).
A seizure is like a power surge, abnormal electrical discharges from neurons disrupting brain function. This causes varying symptoms in older children and adults like shake, twitching, fall, staring spells, unconsciousness, confusion, etc. However, seizures in newborns are quite different and even experts have difficulty recognising them.
Addressing the meet, Dr. Vinayan K.P., Head of Paediatric Neurology and Epilepsy, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, said babies born prematurely or with low birth weight need special attention because febrile seizures are more common among them.
“The issue is complex. Continued febrile seizures can injure the brain. Conversely, brain abnormalities in the child can trigger febrile seizure. Either way, recurring seizures can lead to epilepsy,” he said.
“In babies EEG recording is done continuously for hours to record awake and all sleep stages. The test is not uncomfortable for the child,” said Dr. Vinayan.
Dr. Ronit Pressler, neurophysiology expert and International Secretary of the British Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, and Dr. Monika Eisermann, Professor of Neurology, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, led key sessions.