What to do if a newborn has spasms

Every parent hopes that their baby can be born healthy, but because women do not pay special attention during pregnancy, and some reasons during the delivery process, it is particularly easy for newborns to experience some symptoms. Among them, neonatal spasms are a relatively common phenomenon. Such symptoms have a great impact on the child's life, and will also cause certain pain to the child in early childhood. It always causes the child to have brain stiffness, frequent nodding and rolling of eyes, etc. This will also have a great impact on the child's future physical and mental health. However, if the disease can be discovered in time and treated, it can also be well relieved. Let's learn about what to do with neonatal spasms.

What to do if a newborn has spasms

Infantile spasms are a refractory epileptic encephalopathy. Currently, the most effective treatment option is "corticosteroids + anti-epileptic drugs". ACTH treatment is the first choice for glucocorticoids, which is about 70% effective, but 1/3 of cases relapse after discontinuation of the drug. Commonly used anti-epileptic drugs are sodium valproate and chlordiazepoxide. New drugs such as topiramate, levetiracetam, and lamotrigine can also be considered for use.

The treatment of infantile nodding spasms is complicated. Even if it is treated with medication alone, it will take more than several months, and the medication will need to be taken for at least 2-3 years after it is controlled. Family members must be mentally prepared for a long-term battle. The drugs adrenocortical stimulating hormone (ACTH) and steroids may cause side effects such as infection, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal bleeding, buffalo shoulders, moon face, obesity, short stature and acne.

Commonly used drugs and treatments: pyridoxine (VB6), ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), prednisone, topiramate, levetiracetam (Kepran), vigabatrin (Vigabatrin), valproic acid, nitrazepam, zonisamide, lamotrigine, immunoglobulin, and ketogenic diet.

It is recommended to do an EEG as a basis for diagnosis, and then use B6 for one week to rule out the cause caused by vitamin deficiency. If there are still seizures, take anti-epileptic drugs as prescribed by the doctor, because each drug has great side effects. For infants with severe conditions, ACTH can be used for a more obvious effect. For less serious cases, generally use one drug first and gradually increase the dose to the maximum dose that can be used. If there are still seizures, take two drugs as prescribed by the doctor, and then add three. Generally, two drugs cannot control the condition, and the control rate of adding a third drug is significantly lower. If multiple drugs are tried and still ineffective and the patient is suspected of having refractory epilepsy, a ketogenic diet may be chosen or, if there are obvious lesions, a preoperative evaluation for surgical treatment may be performed.

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and adequate protein diet. This therapy has been used to treat refractory epilepsy in children for decades. Although its anti-epileptic mechanism is still unclear, its effectiveness and safety have been recognized.

Please follow your doctor's instructions when taking anti-epileptic drugs and do not increase or decrease the dosage at will.

The above is an introduction to what to do if a newborn has convulsions. When such symptoms occur, parents should not give up easily. They must take the baby for timely treatment. In addition, the treatment process also takes a certain amount of time. During this period, parents must continue to persevere. In addition, they can also help the baby to move and exercise more often, which will be of great help to the cure of the disease.