In the not too distant past, women with epilepsy were discouraged from getting pregnant because uncontrolled seizures can harm both the mother and developing baby. In fact, prior to the 1960s, not only were women with epilepsy advised not to get pregnant, many states had laws prohibiting individuals with epilepsy from getting married. The development of anti-seizure medications as well as changes in societal views in the 60s and 70s led to a loosening of these recommendations/laws. These older anti-seizure drugs, such as valproate, unfortunately were found to increase the risk of birth defects. However, the newest generation of anti-seizure drugs are safer to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding according the results of a new study published in JAMA Neurology. Researchers measured verbal abilities at age 2 in nearly 300 children whose mothers took newer medications for epilepsy. Their children had equal language development to those in a control group, along with moderate risks in other areas for children exposed to the highest levels of the medications before birth. The findings indicate that cognitive risks of the newer drugs are smaller than for valproate treatment as a prior study found a loss of 10-12 IQ points in children exposed to valproate in utero. These results suggest that proper administration of newer medications, and monitoring of doses to stop seizure activity, can help increase normal pregnancy outcomes in women with epilepsy.
Campisi, J (2021). https://physioblogology10.blogspot.com/2021/08/evaluating-antiseizure-medication-in.html
