Epilepsies with onset during the first year of life: A prospective study on syndromes, etiologies, and outcomes.

One in every 700-800 babies develop epilepsy within the first year after birth. Our study identified an epilepsy syndrome in 80% and the cause of epilepsy in 60% of the participants. By age 2 years, over one-third of the children still experienced seizures, and almost half faced significant developmental delay. Structural brain abnormalities increased the likelihood of difficult epilepsy and developmental challenges. Babies whose epilepsy was caused by a gene defect varied widely in development and response to medications. Babies with normal neurological examination at first visit, especially if their seizures stopped quickly, had favorable development.