Jitteriness and benign neonatal sleep myoclonus have characteristic features that help distinguish them from seizures.
Jitteriness
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A hungry neonate may have jitteriness that subsides after feeding.
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Jitteriness lacks eye deviation or fixed gaze and heart rate changes.
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The tremors have equal to and fro movements at 7–10 per second, without fast and slow components. Clonic seizures are slower, at 1–2 per second, with rapid and slow movement components.
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Tremors are usually stimulus sensitive: hunger, crying, or loud noise may precipitate them, and gentle restraint stops them.
Benign neonatal sleep myoclonus
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Episodes typically occur during quiet sleep and may continue for several minutes.
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The movements occur only during sleep and disappear when the neonate wakes; the neonate is otherwise normal.
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No treatment is required. The condition subsides in 2 to 3 months, and neurodevelopmental outcome is normal.