New Advice Given For Pregnant Women With Epilepsy

April 28, 2009 by tanya
Filed under: Baby Health, News

New guidelines were published today that show pregnancy for women with epilepsy is safe if they take the precautions given.

Currently around half a million women of childbearing age in the States are diagnosed with epilepsy. Approximately four per cent of births in the USA are to epileptic women.

The advice, published in the Neurology journal was provided by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society.

Guidelines include:

Avoid using valproate/ valproic acid. The drug has been linked with birth defects and lower IQ when compared with other drugs sufferers can use.
Avoid mixing anti-epileptic drugs.
Avoid using phenytoin or phenobarbital as linked with lower IQ levels in children.
Quit smoking. It has been found that epileptic women who smoke while pregnant increase their chances of giving birth prematurely.

Doctors recommend that patients remain on anti-epileptic drugs during their pregnancy as there are more risks involved with women having seizures uncontrolled.

Pregnant women who suffer from epilepsy are recommended to seek advice from their doctor to discuss which drug they should use. Although valproate is usually the most effective, during pregnancy there have been found that there are several alternatives that can be offered

Epileptic Mary Katherine Albritton, 29, has had two children with no complications: “It really breaks my heart to hear that women who are epileptic shy away from having children. It can be done.” she said.