Infantile spasms in children with Down syndrome.

The authors retrospectively identified 17 children with Down syndrome who developed infantile spasms, and analysed their etiology, EEG findings, response to medication, development and prognosis. Compared with symptomatic infantile spasms in the general population, which have a poor prognosis, these patients had a relatively benign outcome with regard to seizure control: only three of 16 survivors currently have seizures and seven of the 16 currently receive anticonvulsants. Developmental outcome was poorest in those with a superimposed hypoxic insult and in those who regressed developmentally at the onset of the spasms and did not regain developmental milestones. The overall neurological prognosis for children with Down syndrome and infantile spasms appears to be better than for children with infantile spasms in the general population.