Avery's Diseases of the Newborn

Neonatal Seizures

Key Points Neonatal seizures are common. Clinical assessment alone is insufficient for diagnosis, and EEG evaluation is necessary. Seizures are often symptomatic of an underlying cause requiring investigation. Confirmed seizures should be treated with antiseizure medications. Neonatal Seizures Seizures in…

Neonatal Neuromuscular Disorders

Key Points Evaluation of neonatal hypotonia includes neuromuscular conditions, and the diagnostic work-up should be approached in a stepwise manner. A normal creatine phosphokinase does not completely rule out muscle disease. Electromyography is useful in the diagnostic evaluation of hypotonia…

Neonatal Encephalopathy

Key Points Neonatal encephalopathy is a clinical syndrome that can result from a variety of underlying causes. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of neonatal brain injury and mortality worldwide. Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy are useful…

Brain Injury in the Preterm Infant

Key Points Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) remains a common cause of chronic neurologic morbidity. Despite a gradual decline in the incidence of most grades of IVH, the increased survival of very low birth weight infants has resulted in an increase in…

Congenital Heart Disease

Key Points Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth heart defect encountered in the clinical setting, affecting 1% of live births. Surgical outcomes for all forms of CHD continue to improve. Early detection through fetal echocardiography, physical examination,…

Perinatal Arrhythmias

Key Points The term supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) encompasses several different arrhythmias that may have different diagnostic and therapeutic requirements. Tachycardia mechanisms may be caused by conduction reentry, enhanced automaticity, or triggered automaticity. Isolated atrial and ventricular ectopy is common in…