HYPOMAGNESEMIC CONVULSIONS OF THE NEWBORN / 实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

This paper reports 17 cases of hypomagnesemic convulsiens of the newhorn that were admitted from Se-Ptember 1981 to January 1983. Only 2 patients were breast-fed.Symptoms and signs of hypomagnesemia are indistinguishable from these of hypocalcemia unless the serum magne-sium is determ ined. Serum magnes iumlevels had been determined in 50 normal children. The average value-2 standard deviation=2.17-2?0.34=1.49mEq/L.We defined hypomagnesemia as the serum magnesium lcvels below 1.48mEg/L. The serum magnesium levels of 17 patients varied from 0.65 to 1.46m Eq/L. Of 10 cases serum calcium le-vel6mg/dl.2.5%MgSO_4 was given intraveno-usly by continuous infusion in a dose of 2-4ml/kg every 12 hours. After the convulsions had been controlled a dose of 25% MgSO_4 was given intramuscul-arly in a dose of 0.4ml/kg twice daily Convulsions usually ceased after 1--4doses of MgSO_4, but the serum magne-sium levels did not rise to normal le-vels until 2-6 days. The convulsions could not be controlled by repeated ad-ministrations of calcium gluconate in 5 patients who had both hypomagnes-emja and hypocalcemia. Only after theadministiation of MgSO_4 did the serum calicum levels rise to the normal level and the convulsions cease.Electrocardjograms recorded in 7 patients all were abnormal but 1 case,so we should pay attention to the inf-luence of magnesium upon the heart.