Epilepsy with continuous spike-waves during sleep was diagnosed in a child who suffered primary neonatal thalamic haemorrhage, and who was followed from birth to 17 years of age. Early cognitive development was normal. Acquired behavioural problems and cognitive stagnation could be directly related to the epilepsy and not to the initial lesion and posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus. This case and long-term follow-up data on a few children who suffered primary neonatal thalamic haemorrhage suggest that epilepsy with continuous spike-waves during sleep can be a sequel. Disturbances of thalamocortical interactions could play a role in the still poorly understood syndrome of epilepsy with continuous spike-waves during sleep.