Patient's question:
What is the cause of benign familial neonatal convulsions?Doctor's answer:
This condition is rarely seen in clinical practice and is a highly penetrant autosomal dominant genetic chromosomal disorder. In affected families, multiple generations of newborns experience convulsions, but subsequent mental and neurological development remains normal.The condition typically manifests 2 to 3 days after birth, presenting as clonic or apneic seizures, which eventually evolve into tonic seizures. Daily seizures can occur dozens of times, each lasting from a few seconds to several tens of seconds. During seizures, there are no specific findings on electroencephalography (EEG). Generally, the condition resolves spontaneously within 2 to 4 weeks, and approximately 14% of patients may develop epilepsy.
Neonatal convulsions exhibit a wide variety of presentations, and diagnosis should include exclusion of other causes of neonatal seizures. Antiepileptic drugs can be used during seizures, but long-term use is not recommended.