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Updated: Sep 7, 2025

Electrophoretic Delivery of γ-aminobutyric Acid GABA into Epileptic Focus Prevents Seizures in Mice
Published on: May 16, 2019
Seizure medication and planned pregnancy: balancing the risks and outcomes
Angela La Neve1, Giovanni Falcicchio1, Maria Trojano1
1Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
Introduction:
The therapeutic management of women with epilepsy (WWE) of childbearing age can be complicated by the need to balance maternal/fetal risks related to seizure occurrence during gestation with the potential teratogenic risks related to the use of anti-seizure medications (ASMs).
Areas Covered:
The authors review clinical evidence on seizure-related and ASM-related risks during pregnancy. Current regulatory indications are discussed, evaluating their impact on clinical practice, and ethical implications of pharmacological decisions are debated.
Expert Opinion:
If properly informed about the maternal/fetal risks carried by different pharmacological choices, WWE can become the final decision makers regarding their care in every phase of their life. Over the coming years, analysis of aggregated pregnancy registry data on the structural impact, on the fetus, of low doses of valproate and of newer ASMs, together with analysis of the main population study data on functional (cognitive and behavioral) outcomes, could lead to huge advances, making choosing an ASM a less complex process for the clinician and a less painful decision for the woman. Future objectives should include identification of the potential role of the pharmacogenomic profile of WWE in determining the risk of fetal malformations.
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