Epilepsy can be serious and pose risks to the mother and fetus during pregnancy. Conventional wisdom holds that high quality prenatal care as well as medical care for epilepsy is the best way to ensure a healthy baby. In fact, this method works well, since the vast majority of women with epilepsy do have healthy babies.
Another piece of conventional medical wisdom is that women with epilepsy should continue to take their medications throughout the pregnancy. While a small number of women with mild seizures may be able to wean off their medications, this is not typical. There are risks to stopping the medications, so most women are advised not to do that.
There are new concerns being raised about certain drugs used to treat epilepsy. A recent study in the UK raises questions about one drug in particular, Topamax. There is additional concern about taking Topamax with another drug, known as valproate, during pregnancy. The study showed an increase risk of birth defects in women taking these drugs.
The study used a small sample of only 203 women. This small sample is one of the major criticisms and the researchers agree that more study is needed in this area. Of this group, there were 178 live births. There were 16 babies born with birth defects, mostly cleft palates and genital birth defects in male newborns.
The women having the babies with the birth defects were all taking Topamax to treat their epilepsy. Thirteen out of the sixteen women were taking the combination of Topamax and another drug, mostly valproate. As a result, researchers have suggested Topamax not be used by women in treating migraines, which is another use for the medication.
For women with epilepsy, the recommendations aren’t as clear. There are serious risks to the mother and baby in not taking medications to treat the disorder in pregnancy. However, there may be an option to not use this combination of two medications, which seems to have the biggest impact on birth defects.
Your medical team is the best resource in helping you make a decision regarding the treatment of your epilepsy during pregnancy. Don’t just stop taking medication out of fear. There could be even greater risks to your baby. Your doctor will evaluate your treatment and the medications you are taking to make any necessary adjustments to help ensure a healthy baby.
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