Seizures are the most common neurological emergency in the neonatal period. Neonatal seizures are very oіen named neonatal convulsions even they do not present as convulsions. Нe\ are one of the most important diagnostic and therapeutic clinical challenges. Нe\ occur during neonatal period, from birth to the end of 28th day of life. Seizures are more common in the neonatal period than at any other time during life. Нe\ appear mostly during the first 1-2 days, but usually during first week from birth. Neonatal brain is uniquely vulnerable to seizures. Usually they signify serious damage to the developing immature brain. Нere is also clear evidence that seizure can damage the brain and exacerbate pre-existing injury. Нerefore it is very imperative to identify neonatal seizures and treat them as soon as possible.

Neonatal seizures are paroxysmal, repetitive and stereotypical events, mostly clinically subtle, inconspicuous and very difficult to recognize. Very high level of experience is necessary to differentiate neonatal seizures from the normal behaviors of the inter-ictal periods or physiological phenomena. Neonatal seizures do not present with clear clinically recognizable post-ictal state. Generalized tonic clonic seizures are exceptional. Нe duration of neonatal seizures is usually 10 sec to 1-2 min. Нe\ are mostly repetitive with a median of few minutes in between each seizure. Longer seizures and epileptic status develop more readily at this age, but convulsive neonatal epileptic status is not as severe as in older infants and children.