Also known as salaam attacks or West's Syndrome, these are a rare but serious type of EPILEPSY, usually starting in the first eight months of life. The spasms are short and occur as involuntary flexing of the neck, arms, trunk and legs. They may occur several times a day. If the baby is sitting, it may collapse into a ‘salaam’ position; more usually there is a simple body jerk, sometimes accompanied by a sudden cry. An electroencephalogram (see ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG)) shows a picture of totally disorganised electrical activity called HYPSARRHYTHMIA. The condition results from any one of many brain injuries, infections or metabolic insults that may have occurred before, during, or in the first few months after birth. Its importance is that in most cases, the baby's development is seriously affected such that they are likely to be left with a significant learning disability. Consequently, prompt diagnosis is important. Treatment is with CORTICOSTEROIDS or with certain anticonvulsants – the hope being that prompt and aggressive treatment might prevent further brain damage leading to learning disability.