Long-Term Epilepsy Outcomes in Children With a History of Perinatal Stroke

Perinatal stroke is a rare condition affecting approximately 20-40 births per 100,000. It may be ischemic or hemorrhagic and can occur before or around birth, with diagnosis sometimes delayed until motor or cognitive symptoms emerge. Potential long-term consequences include motor deficits, cognitive and learning difficulties, language disorders, and epilepsy. Post-stroke epilepsy is estimated to affect approximately 30% of children who experience perinatal stroke. Although neonatal outcomes are relatively well characterized, the long-term course of epilepsy in this population and the relationship between initial stroke characteristics and subsequent epilepsy outcomes remain insufficiently studied. The primary objective of this retrospective, multicenter, observational study is to characterize the long-term course of epilepsy in children who experienced an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke before 28 days of age.