A Comparative Study on Biochemical values in Newborns with and without seizure- A Case Control Study

Abstract

Background: Seizures occur most frequently in infants and the elderly. Age specific incidence of epilepsy is high in the first year of life. The frequency of seizures manifesting in the first month of life is greater than that in any other time of childhood. Objectives: To estimate blood glucose, serum calcium and serum magnesium levels in newborns with seizures and to compare the above biochemical values in newborns with seizure with those of newborns without seizure as control. Methods: A case control study was done conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of department of Pediatrics, Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Medical College, Calicut. Newborn babies admitted to the neonatal unit Institute of maternal and child health with seizure with selected for the study. 30 numbers of newborn babies with clinically confirm Seizure was selected for the study group. And equal number of newborn babies admitted to the neonatal unit for other conditions without any history of seizure were included as control for the study. SPSS (22.0) was used for analysis. Results: Among 30 newborns with seizures 76.67% is having hypoglycemia, 23.33% is having hypocalcemia and 10% is having hypomagnesemia. Among these newborns with seizures due to hypoglycemia 95.65% with hypoglycemia and 4.35% is with hypoglycemia and hypomagnesemia. Age, birth weight, blood glucose, serum calcium and Serum magnesium were found to be significant (p<0.05) when both newborn with seizures and without were compared. Conclusion: Routine monitoring of the blood samples with respect to metabolic parameters considered in this study will help in preventing the occurrence of Seizures and its deleterious consequences.