Epilepsy in Children Cooled for Neonatal HIE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Epidemiology of Epilepsy in Children after Therapeutic Hypothermia for Neonatal Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy in the UK and Republic of Ireland
IRAS ID
312486
Contact name
Elavazhagan Chakkarapani
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Each year, in the UK, over 1700 newborn babies, born at or above 37 weeks gestation, develop brain dysfunction due to birth asphyxia. These babies receive three days of whole body cooling therapy commenced soon after birth, as standard treatment, to reduce the risk of death or long-term disability.
Despite cooling treatment, around 25% of surviving children develop disability, and some children develop epilepsy contributing to substantial health and financial burden to families and healthcare. Parents of children who had HIE reported that epilepsy is the most significant ongoing burden, and they wish they and clinicians had known more about epilepsy including who is likely to develop epilepsy, what type of seizures will occur and at what age. But information on the incidence and characteristics of epilepsy in children who underwent cooling for HIE at population level is scarce.
Therefore, we will ask all the Paediatricians in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, through the directory of the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) national surveillance platform, to inform us about children aged less than 16 years diagnosed with epilepsy, who had undergone cooling treatment for HIE after birth. We will collect information on children’s age when they were diagnosed with epilepsy, type of seizure, tests done to diagnose epilepsy and the treatment they are receiving using a secure online database.
This study will enable us to improve the awareness of clinicians, families and the wider NHS so that appropriate funding and follow-up can be put in place to diagnose epilepsy in these children in a timely manner and treatment offered promptly to prevent long-term complications.
REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0637
Date of REC Opinion
8 Sep 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion