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Obstetric and neonatal outcomes in women with epilepsy in Poland - a two-centre study

Magdalena Bosak1, Bryan H Song2, Milena Dewerenda-Sikora3

  • 1Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University of Krakow, Poland. magdalena.bosak@uj.edu.pl.

Neurologia I Neurochirurgia Polska
|January 21, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Most women with epilepsy in Poland delivered healthy babies, with only 13% experiencing adverse pregnancy or neonatal outcomes. Continued antiepileptic drug therapy during pregnancy was common, and a majority of newborns had good Apgar scores.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Obstetrics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Women with epilepsy face increased risks for adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes.
  • Antiepileptic drug (AED) use during pregnancy requires careful consideration due to potential teratogenic effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document pregnancy, delivery, and perinatal outcomes in women with epilepsy treated at Polish university clinics.
  • To assess the safety and efficacy of antiepileptic therapies during pregnancy in this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective study involving 171 pregnant women with epilepsy from two university epilepsy centers.
  • Data collected included epilepsy characteristics, AED treatment, seizure frequency, pregnancy and perinatal outcomes, and infant feeding methods.

Main Results:

  • The majority of women (nearly 90%) continued AED therapy during pregnancy, with most on monotherapy and drugs of low teratogenic potential.
  • 53.8% of women remained seizure-free during pregnancy; 46% experienced seizures.
  • Adverse pregnancy/neonatal outcomes occurred in 13% of patients, with only one major congenital malformation reported. Most newborns had Apgar scores above 7.

Conclusions:

  • The majority of women with epilepsy in Poland delivered healthy babies, with a low rate of adverse outcomes.
  • Continued AED therapy is common and generally associated with favorable outcomes in this population.
  • Further research is recommended to identify specific risk factors for adverse outcomes in pregnant women with epilepsy in Poland.
Abstract

Keywords:
deliveryepilepsyperinatal outcomespregnancywomen

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