Evaluation of Etiology and Prognostic Factors of the Developmental Outcome in Neonatal Seizures / 대한소아신경학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features of neonatal seizures and to identify prognostic factors of neurodevelopmental outcome in term infants who experienced clinical seizures. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 153full term and preterm infants with seizures from January 2008 to December 2013. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to assess risk factors associated with neurological adverse outcomes using variables that were found to be significant on univariate analysis. RESULTS: During the study period, 102 (66.7%) term and 51 (33.3%) preterminfants were enrolled. The main cause of neonatal seizures was hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (24.5%) in term infants and intracranial hemorrhage (74.5%) in preterm infants. The most common type of seizure was focal clonic seizure. Generalized tonic seizure was more commonly observed in preterm than in term infants. 39 out of 56 term infants with at least 12 months of neurologic follow-up showed normal outcomes while only one preterm infant showed normal development.Prognostic factors related to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in term infants were perinatal history of fetal distress, etiology of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, severity of EEG(Electroencephalogram) abnormality, evidence of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy on brain magnetic resonance imaging, and the need for multiple antiepileptic drugs for seizure control. CONCLUSION: Preterm infants showed poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes compared to term infants. The etiology of seizures, treatment response, neuroimaging and electroencephalographic findings were important in predicting the developmental outcome in term infants with seizures.

A Case of Chromosome 1q44 Deletion with Microcephaly and Multiple Congenital Anomalies / 대한주산의학회잡지

The 1q terminal deletion syndrome is a rare chromosomal disorder which was first reported by Mankinen et al. in 1976. This disorder has shown to have broad and diverse clinical phenotypes. Specific phenotypes of 1q terminal deletion syndrome include microcephaly, seizures, psychomotor retardation, growth retardation, abnormalities of extremities, corpus callosum, heart and genitalia. Although this disorder has diverse clinical manifestations, almost all cases of 1q44 deletion syndrome have growth, psychomotor, and mental retardation and progressive microcephaly. The first diagnosis of 1q44 deletion syndrome in Korea was made by fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis in a 4-month-old girl with craniofacial anomalies, multiple congenital anomalies, and growth and psychomotor retardation. We report the second domestic case of 1q44 deletion syndrome with cleft palate, facial dysmorphism, single umbilical artery, foot abnormality, progressive microcephaly, growth and psychomotor retardation which was confirmed by microarray for comparative genomic hybridization. We also compare this case with previously reported cases of 1q44 deletion syndrome.

Vertically Transmitted Severe Coxsackievirus B Infection in Four Preterm Twins Presented / 대한주산의학회잡지

During summer and fall months (from June to November), enteroviral infection is more common than group B streptococcal infection or herpes simplex viral infection in neonates. Enteroviruses are divided into polioviruses, coxsackieviruses A, coxsackieviruses B, and echoviruses. Enteroviruses can cause a wide spectrum of acute illnesses ranging from non-specific febrile illness, upper respiratory tract infection or gastroenteritis, to severe diseases such as myocarditis, and encephalitis. Coxsackieviruses B are important neonatal pathogens, which can cause meningoencephalitis, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, and cardiomyopathy. Transplacental transmission of coxsackievirus or perinatal transmission by inhalation or swallowing of cervical secretion or feces during delivery causes more severe diseases than postnatal transmission by horizontal transmission in nursery or neonatal intensive care unit, due to larger load of viruses. Four preterm infants had severe coxsackieviral B infection with thrombocytopenia, meningitis, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, and myocarditis within seven days of age during this June. Coxsackieviruses B were detected from their feces, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood. Viruses might be transmitted prenatally through placenta from mother to fetus, which caused severe disease. Coxsackieviruses B infections have to be considered in the neonates with sepsis-like illness during summer and fall months, or enteroviral seasons.