Seizures are defined as excessive, abnormal and sudden electrical activities occurring in the brain. In most cases, seizures in infants occur during the first twenty-eight days of their life (Spagnoli et al., 2018). However, neonatal seizures are frequent in low birth weight or premature babies. The most visible signs of neonatal seizures in children include “bicycling motions” and chewing movements. However, these types of movements also occur in healthy infants and thus carrying out a diagnosis is important. Infants who develop neonatal seizures will have epilepsy later in life, and thus, parents need to ensure they seek medical guidance and attention when they notice some of the signs (Kang & Kadam, 2015). However, diagnosing seizures is difficult as it may be subtle and short. It is therefore important to determine the major causes of seizures in children, which will allow for much better diagnosis and treatment to prevent future problems such as epilepsy.
Problem Statement
The first 28 days of an infant’s life is what forms the neonatal period (Spagnoli et al., 2018). A considerable number of seizures occur during the first few days after birth. The presence of neonatal seizures indicates that a baby has various neurological dysfunctions, and these are predictors of long-term developmental and cognitive impairments (Kang & Kadam, 2015). The inability of identifying the causes of seizures in infants will negatively affect the development of infants, as they are likely to suffer from various developmental and cognitive disabilities.
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Research Question
Among the newborn infants, does the cause of seizures within the first 28 days compared with full-grown infants have an impact on their cognitive and developmental abilities later in their adult life?
Significance
The long-term impacts of seizures in infants is not fully understood by most experts. Moreover, most experts do not know the causes of seizures in infants. Seizures are known to bring about developmental and cognitive impairment in infants once they begin growing (Kang & Kadam, 2015). The two forms of impairments can affect the learning and adults lives of the children. It is imperative to have a cognizance of the causes of seizures, as it will allow for the prevention of the negative impacts of seizures in the adult lives of the infants.
References
Kang, S. K., & Kadam, S. D. (2015). Neonatal seizures: impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes. Frontiers in Pediatrics , 3 , 101.
Spagnoli, C., Falsaperla, R., Deolmi, M., Corsello, G., & Pisani, F. (2018). Symptomatic seizures in preterm newborns: a review on clinical features and prognosis. Italian Journal of Pediatrics , 44 (1), 1-7.
