[Rapid detection of neurologic morbidity in full term newborn infants]. / Detección rápida de morbilidad neurológica en el recién nacido de término.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the simplified method to detect neurological morbidity in newborn and to estimate the predictive parameter, i.e. sensitivity, specificity and predictive value. The sample consisted of 100 newborn infants from the Maternity Clinic of Hospital Regional Docente Trujillo-Perú, during the period from March to May 1990. All infants were born full-term, of normal delivery and Apgar score of greater than or equal to 7 at one minute, and no congenital malformation were present. Each one of the newborn was evaluated with a complete neurologic examination and the simplified method. Previously, the effects of population variables had been evaluated: the mean birth weight was 3277 g. (S.D. 435). Seventy one percent of the infants were between 38.5 and 39.5 weeks of gestational age. Eighty five percent of cases, showed on Apgar score from 8 to 10. The results allowed to determine that the sensitivity of the rapid neurological assessment was 0.70 specificity 0.75 and predictive value 0.75 (P less than 0.01). These findings suggest the usefulness and convenience of the method to detect neurological morbidity in full-term newborn infants.

[Various risk factors for infantile epilepsy relapse after the end of treatment]. / Algunos factores de riesgo de recaída de la epilepsia infantil después de finalizado el tratamiento.

A study was conducted at the out-patient Pediatric Neurology clinic of the Trujillo Peru Regional Teaching Hospital on 127 children with epilepsy and who were seen for the first time at the clinic. After completing two years of continuous treatment and free of any convulsions, the patients were followed and later controlled for a minimum period of two to four years. The object of the study was to correlate the frequency of relapses and risk factors which may have influenced the convulsions. Remission was seen in 70.7% of the cases while the convulsions recurred in 29.3% of the patients. The convulsions recurred during the first 24 months after treatment was completed. Relapses of epilepsy in children are directly related to the start of the convulsions at and early age to the type and severity of the episode, to the added neurological abnormalities as well as persistent paroxysmal EEG abnormalities.