Haemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy (HSE) is a syndrome of unknown aetiology with a high mortality. Until recently, all survivors of HSE were reported to have severe neurological damage. We report the case of a 2-year-old boy who recovered completely from HSE. It is possible that the absence of so-called 'electrical storms' in the acute phase electroencephalogram is a prognostically favourable sign with respect to the neurological outcome.