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Early myoclonic encephalopathy is a rare neurologic disease of unknown etiology whose course is always quickly unfavorable. Clinical features include lack of mental development and myoclonic jerks which appear during the neonatal period. There are no biological abnormalities but EEG shows a pattern of suppression-burst. In the spectrum of neonatal epileptic encephalopathic syndromes, it is important to distinguish this syndrome from non-ketotic hyperglycinemia and Ohtahara' syndrome. Two new familial cases authors to emphasize on the difficulty of nosological delineation of these syndromes. However it is necessary to delimit this disease for a genetic purpose.

The authors report 32 cases of neonatal hemorrhagic colitis observed during a 19-mth period in the neonatal unit of the University Medical Center of Caen. Neonatal hemorrhagic colitis is characterized by rectal bleeding alone occurring mostly in premature infants. There are no accompanying clinical, biological or radiological signs of necrotizing enterocolitis. The evolution is always benign without any particular therapy. Prematurity and cesarean section appear to be the most important etiological factors. The pathogenesis is probably multifactorial. The differential diagnosis with necrotizing enterocolitis is difficult in the beginning.