Risk factors for neonatal seizures: A case–control study in the province of Parma, Italy

Purpose: The present study evaluated the risk factors for electroencephalographic (EEG)-confirmed seizures during the whole neonatal period in preterm and term neonates born in the province of Parma between January 2009 and December 2014. Methods: We selected as cases the infants that presented EEG-confirmed neonatal seizures (NS). Two population controls for each case were matched by gestational age (GA), sex, hospital, and period of birth. Information on the mother, the pregnancy, the labor and delivery, and the neonates were taken from the Emilia-Romagna Certificate of Delivery Assistance database and from hospital charts and ICD-9-CM codes. Results and interpretation: In the 6-year period of this study, 22 patients were recorded with NS. The association between at least one pregnancy complication and at least one neonatal complication, a low Apgar score, the need for resuscitation at birth, intraventricular hemorrhages (IVH) grades II–IV for preterm, and acute perinatal asphyxia/hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) for term infants were all statistically significant among cases. Neonates presenting these risk factors are more prone to develop NS and have to be strictly monitored.