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Epilepsy

Neonatal seizures still lack safe and effective treatment

Nature Reviews Neurology volume 11, pages 311–312 (2015)Cite this article

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Seizures after neonatal hypoxia are difficult to treat. A recent antiepileptic safety and dose-finding study examined phenobarbital plus bumetanide, but was stopped owing to apparent futility and increased risk of hearing loss. However, this decision could have been overcautious: 0.2 mg/kg bumetanide reduced seizure burden, and might not have increased hearing loss.

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Acknowledgements

We thank L. Walløe for help with assessing the statistical methods used in the trial. We thank the Norwegian and German Research Councils for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Physiology, Room 2366, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1103, Blindern, Oslo, 0317, Norway

    Marianne Thoresen

  2. Department Neonatology, University Children's Hospital, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstrasse 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany

    Hemmen Sabir

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  1. Marianne Thoresen
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Correspondence to Marianne Thoresen.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Thoresen, M., Sabir, H. Neonatal seizures still lack safe and effective treatment. Nat Rev Neurol 11, 311–312 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2015.74

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