Abstract
Infantile spasms were first described in the early 1840s by West (1841), whose son had the disorder. West’s syndrome, or infantile spasms, is a catastrophic type of epilepsy, with an early onset, often occurring in the first postnatal month. A rough estimate of prevalence is 1 in 2,000 to 1 in 6,000 live births (Saliba et al. 1996). The earlier the onset, generally, the worse the disorder. If infantile spasms appear in the first several weeks, it can be difficult to diagnose and treat. Even the terminology surrounding infantile spasms is complex. There are dozens of names besides “infantile spasms” which have been used or suggested over many years.
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McCandless, D.W. (2012). Infantile Spasms. In: Epilepsy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0361-6_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0361-6_19
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