With the development of an appropriate electrode, recording of the fetal electroencephalogram (FEEG) during labor has become a useful research technique. Four patients developed seizure activity in infancy. The FEEGs of these infants resemble the tracings obtained later in life. Abnormalities included persistent sharp-wave activity and prolonged voltage depression. In addition to the authors' knowledge, we have the first reported example of an FEEG with the appearance of periodic trace from a fetus who later developed hypsarrhythmia. The FEEG establishes abnormal electrical activity reflecting brain damage incurred prior to birth.