The American Academy of Neurology a...

The American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society have released strange guidelines on treating infantile spasms. "Practice Parameter: Medical Treatment of Infantile Spasms" appears in the May 2004 issue of Neurology and is available online at http://www.neurology.org/cgi/reprint/62/10/1668.

Infantile spasms, also called West Syndrome is a rare disorder that usually begins in infants four to six month of age and stops by the agency of the age of two to four years. The spams are a adumbration of seizure associated with unanticipated flexion or extension movements. Infantile spasms rarely reply to the usual antiseizure medications. greatest in quantity children with infantile spasms have developmental disabilities later in life.

The authors of the guideline reviewed all of the scientific studies forward the topic. According to the authors, there are not many well-designed, prospective studies upon infantile spasms, and more research is exigencyed to answer many questions about the treatment of this disorder.

According to the guideline, adrenocorticotropic hormone is probably effective for the short-term treatment of infantile spasms. However, there is not enough evidence to approve the optimum dosage and duration of treatment. There also is insufficient evidence to determine whether oral corticosteroids are an effective treatment for infantile spasms.

The medicine vigabatrin is possibly effective for the short-term treatment of infantile spasms and is possibly effective for children with tuberous sclerosis. The evidence moves that the vision of children taking vigabatrin should be proofed regularly, because the drug can affect the retina.

There is insufficient evidence to attract favor to other treatments for infantile spasms, and there is insufficient evidence to judge that successful treatment of infantile spasms improves the long-term prognosis, according to the authors.

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

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