Infantile spasms are associated with a high incidence of developmental retardation, particularly in symptomatic infants with prior neurologic abnormalities.
High developmental risk in infantile spasms even without prior abnormalities warrants close monitoring; leaves open optimal early interventions.
Infantile spasms are an age-specific seizure disorder that occur in infants with no known underlying disorder or prior neurologic insult (cryptogenic group) as well as in infants with a variety of genetic disorders or known prior neurologic insult (symptomatic group).1-8 The presence of infantile spasms is associated with a high incidence of developmental retardation (87%)3 even in previously normal infants.3,5-7 Although there are many contradictory studies, it is generally believed that the infants in the symptomatic group, especially those with abnormal findings on neurologic examination prior to the onset of the seizures, have a significantly higher incidence of mental retardation and epilepsy than the infants in the cryptogenic group.1-9
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Álvarez et al. (1987) studied this question.
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