Epilepsy: newer medicines safer in pregnancy
27 May 2011
A baby's exposure to newer epilepsy medicines during the first trimester of pregnancy is not associated with an overall increased risk of major birth defects compared with pregnancies where the mother did not take an anti-epileptic medicine, a study suggests.
The drugs studied were lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, gabapentin and levetiracetam.
Using data from more than 800,000 pregnancies in Denmark, researchers found that among 1500 babies exposed to the newer-generation antiepileptic medicines, 3.2 per cent had a major birth defect compared with 2.4 per cent of babies not exposed (JAMA 2011; 305: 1996-2002).
Last Reviewed: 27 May 2011
- 1. Molgaard-Nielsen D, Hviid A. Newer-generation antiepileptic drugs and the risk of major birth defects. JAMA 2011; 305: 1996-2002. doi: 10.1001/jama.2011.624. http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/305/19/1996.abstract (accessed May 2011).
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