Retrospective, multicenter study of lacosamide to treat neonatal seizures

A. S. Almansa, J. R. Landers, N. S. Abend, et al., “ Retrospective, Multicenter Study of Lacosamide to Treat Neonatal Seizures,” Annals of the Child Neurology Society 0 (2025): 1-12, https://doi.org/10.1002/cns3.70044.

ABSTRACT

Objective

Most antiseizure medications (ASMs) are prescribed off label for neonates. Lacosamide's efficacy in infants and availability in intravenous formulation suggest potential utility for neonates. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of lacosamide for neonatal seizures.

Methods

This 10-center, retrospective study of neonates with seizures and lacosamide treatment initiated by ≤ 48 weeks postmenstrual age collected clinical data from medical records and electroencephalogram recordings. Lacosamide efficacy was determined by changes in seizure burden with lacosamide treatment and seizure cessation by hospital discharge. Potential adverse events were reviewed.

Results

Among 62 eligible neonates, 33 had acute provoked seizures while 29 had neonatal-onset epilepsy; there was no difference in seizure type or baseline seizure severity between groups. There were high rates of pretreatment status epilepticus (48%) and treatment-resistant seizures, with 93% receiving ≥ 3 ASMs before lacosamide. Most received intravenous lacosamide, with a median loading dose of 5.0 mg/kg and median daily dose of 7.3 mg/kg. Seizure cessation occurred in 37% of neonates; 21% had no additional ASM administered after lacosamide. Seizure burden, measured in seizure minutes per hour, was lower at both 4 h and 7 days following lacosamide administration. In addition, there was a median reduction in seizure frequency of 30 seizures per day at 7 and 30 days posttreatment (p < .05). Lacosamide was continued at discharge in most neonates (72%). Seventy adverse events were reported in 35 (56%) neonates. Four transient events with possible or unknown relationship to lacosamide were likely multifactorial in origin; none were cardiac arrhythmias.

Summary

Despite high rates of treatment-resistant seizures in this neonatal cohort, 37% experienced seizure cessation and most remained on lacosamide at hospital discharge. Most adverse events were not attributed to lacosamide. These results favor use of lacosamide and provide a rationale for future prospective studies.

Neonatal neurocritical care considerations for prenatally identified neurological disorders.

Gano D, Boardman JP, Agarwal S, Venkatesan C, Tarui T, Chau V, Wusthoff CJ, Lemmon ME, Scelsa B, Vollmer B, Mulkey SB, Scher MS, Hart AR, Peeples ES, Nakwa F, Molloy E, Pardo AC; Newborn Brain Society Guidelines and Publications Committee. Neonatal neurocritical care considerations for prenatally identified neurological disorders. Pediatr Res. 2026 Jan 7. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-04691-w. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41501412.

Abstract

With increased access to advanced prenatal neuroimaging and genetic testing, neurological disorders such as brain malformations, brain injuries, and genetic disorders, are increasingly being diagnosed during pregnancy. In this review, we address neonatal neurocritical care considerations for the population with prenatally identified neurological disorders. We identify antenatal considerations, including planning location of delivery, as well as postnatal considerations, including clinical phenotyping, neuromonitoring, neuroimaging, and genetic testing. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, neonatology, pediatric neurology, neuroradiology, genetics, palliative care, early intervention and habilitative services is emphasized. We outline high-priority research gaps, and highlight the need for large, multicenter studies that capture diverse geographies, populations, care practices and settings longitudinally. IMPACT: Fetal neurology is a rapidly evolving field owing to the increased prenatal diagnosis of neurological disorders; however, the natural history of many fetal neurological disorders is not well known. We identify interdisciplinary neonatal neurocritical care considerations for newborns with prenatally diagnosed neurological disorders, such as neuroimaging, neuromonitoring, and family support. We outline high-priority research gaps in fetal neurology relevant to neurocritical care, including the need to prioritize large-scale longitudinal studies on the etiologies, short- and long-term outcomes of fetal neurologic disorders across diverse geographies and populations to improve counseling and care.