Neonatal Encephalopathy

Neonatal encephalopathy is disturbed brain function in a newborn, often shown by abnormal alertness, tone, reflexes, breathing, feeding, or seizures. It describes a clinical condition and does not identify one cause. Possible causes include oxygen deprivation, infection, stroke, metabolic disease, genetic conditions, and other factors. A careful evaluation can include pregnancy and labor records, newborn examinations, laboratory data, imaging, electroencephalography, placental findings, and the child’s later course.