Postnatal seizures

Lukasiuk, K., and Pitkanen, A. 2004. Large-scale analysis of gene expression in epilepsy research is synthesis already possible Neurochem Res 29(6) 1169-1178 Lynch, M., Sayin, U., Bownds, J., JanumpaUi, S., and Sutula, T. 2000. Long-term consequences of early postnatal seizures on hippocampal learning and plasticity. Eur J Neurosci 12(7) 2252-2264... 

There is also considerable evidence for a higher susceptibility to domoic acid toxicity during early postnatal development in rats [92,110,116,117,131]. Domoic acid induces a time-dependent behavioral toxicity in neonatal rats that is characterized by hyperactivity, stereotypic scratching, convulsions, and death at exposures 40-50 times lower by body weight in neonates than that reported in adults [116,117]. However, acute toxicity with domoic acid does not appear to cause structural alteration in the brain of neonates as assessed by Nissl staining and cupric silver histochemistry [117]. This is consistent with numerous other studies of neonatal seizures that demonstrate a generalized resistance to excitotoxic damage [135,136],... 

B. Neonatal drug withdrawal may occur In infants with chronic prenatal exposure to illicit or therapeutic drugs. The onset is usually within 72 hours of birth, but a postnatal onset as late as 14 days has been reported. Signs usually commence in the nursery, and infants are not discharged until clinically stable. However, with early discharge from nurseries becoming the norm, an infant in withdrawal may first present to an emergency department or acute care clinic. The presentation may be as mild as colic or severe as withdrawal seizures or profound diarrhea. 

The clinical features of our two cases differ somewhat from those reported by Matsumoto et al. The mothers of both of our cases exhibited signs and S3miptoms of severe MeHg intoxication, and the infants, though seemingly nonnal at birth, died during early postnatal life. In the Japanese cases, on the other hand, the mothers were asymptomatic, and the infants, who lived for 6 yr, 3 months and 2 yr 6 months, respectively, suffered from severe cerebral palsy associated with repeated convulsive seizures. 

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