Objective: A retrospective study; carried out to study the incidence of epilepsy in the first three years of life.

Design: Out of the 5650 abnormal EEG's analyzed 2268 were under the age of 3 years. (40.1%).

Setting: Dr. KMP Suresh's Advanced Pediatric Neurosciences & Epilepsy center.

Subjects: 2268 cases below three years of life were analyzed for the study purpose in the last 7 years form a major Epilepsy referral center of North Karnataka.

Methods & Design: Of the 5650 EEG's analyzed in the last 7 years - 2268 (40.1%) were below three years of life including day 1 of life for type of seizures/syndromes based on the 1981 ILAE classification of seizure and 1989 ILAE classification and epilepsy syndromes, for treatment plan and its outcome.

Results: Of the 2268 - 33.4% were Generalized Seizure most of them Myoclonic Epilepsies - 32.5% were Symptomatic or Partial Epilepsies while 33.1% were mixed epilepsy syndromes including early LGB.

Conclusions: Epilepsies with their onset in infancy are governed by maturational and developmental factors leading to unique seizure types and syndromes leading to generally unfavorable long-term outcome. Earlier the age worse and guarded is the prognosis and treatment strategies have to be unique based on seizure and syndromes.

Key Words: ILAE, seizures syndromes, infantile spasms, LGB, West syndrome.

Karnataka Pedicon 2005 - Conference Abstracts.Pediatric Oncall [serial online] 2006 [cited 01 January 2006];3. Available from:
http://www.pediatriconcall.com/fordoctor/Conference_abstracts/
epilepsy_in_children.asp