Antiseizure Medications During Pregnancy May Affect Fetal Health
⚠️ Pregnancy-related topic: medication, diet, and testing decisions must be made with your obstetrician and neurology team.
Source: Epilepsia
Summary
This study looked at how taking antiseizure medications (ASMs) during pregnancy affects the risk of birth defects in babies. Researchers used data from a large group of pregnant women in South Korea between 2010 and 2020. They focused on women with epilepsy who took ASMs and compared them to women with epilepsy who did not take any medications during their pregnancies. The study divided the women into groups based on when they took the medications and whether they were on one or two types of ASMs.
The findings showed that the timing and type of medication matter. Women who took only one type of ASM during the first part of their pregnancy had a lower risk of their babies having birth defects. However, those who took two types of ASMs, especially lamotrigine or valproate, had a higher risk of malformations, particularly if they took them throughout the entire pregnancy. For example, taking valproate with another medication was linked to a significantly higher risk of heart defects.
These results are important because they help inform decisions about medication use during pregnancy for women with epilepsy. Understanding the risks can help doctors and families make better choices for the health of both the mother and the baby. However, the study has limitations, such as only including data from South Korea, which may not represent all populations. More research is needed to confirm these findings in different groups of people.
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