Clinical Profile of Infants with Hypsarrhythmia

Objective: The present study was done in order to obtain a baseline profile of infantile spasms and associated neurological disor¬ders. Patient and methods:. The study included 50 patients with infantile spasm in Queen Rania Hospital for children in Jordan. The following data were obtained: sex, age at onset of spasms, details of seizure, fam¬ily history of epilepsy, significant pre-/peri/ post-natal insults, Electroencephalography and detailed neuro imaging evaluation , detailed neurological, neuro developmental ,assessment were done by. Broad categories of possible etiologies were used the results were recorded for further study. Results: Age of onset of infantile spasms ranged from 1month to 1 year and 6 months , (mean 4.8 months). The mean time of presentation was 9.4 months . A male preponderance was noted (74 %). flexor spasms (52%) was the commonest . Other types of seizures also ac¬companied infantile spasm in 44% children . (84%) were born of normal delivery, History of birth asphyxia was obtained in 48%, 3 (6%) had positive family history Develop¬mental delay was recognized prior to onset of spasms in 52%, microcephaly was the commonest associated problem, Imaging studies of the brain revealed abnormality in 18 patients. 78% patients were classified as symptomatic and 22 % as cryptogenic. Conclusion: the pattern of infantile spasm in our country do not differ from that of developed countries, further researches is required to prevent both chronic epilepsy and psychomotor retardation and .preven¬tive measurement to prevent birth asphyxia is recommended