Topic Overview
Most pregnant women who have epilepsy have healthy children.
But the risk of serious birth defects in the child is around 4% to 6%, which is about
double the risk for the general population.1
If you have epilepsy and become pregnant, stopping medicine
treatment is not always the best solution. Having seizures during pregnancy can
also harm the baby. And pregnancy causes changes in your body that may increase
the frequency of seizures.
The following information is based on guidelines from the American
Academy of Neurology.2, 3
Before you become pregnant
Before you become pregnant, talk with your doctor
about your epilepsy treatment. Seizures or seizure medicine may cause damage to
the baby very early in your pregnancy, before you even know that you are
pregnant. Your doctor will help you consider whether potential seizures or
continued use of antiepileptic medicine poses the greater risk to your baby.
If you are not yet pregnant but are planning to become pregnant,
stopping medicine might be an option if you have been seizure-free for several
years. Your doctor may suggest a trial run without the medicine before you
become pregnant. Experts recommend that this trial run take place at least 6
months before the pregnancy so that you and your doctor can see the results of
stopping your treatment. If you begin having seizures, you may need to go back
on medicine.
While you are pregnant
If you need to stay on medicine during your pregnancy, your doctor may suggest some changes in your treatment that reduce the risk of birth
defects. These changes may include:
- Switching to a medicine that is safer for the
baby.
- Taking a single medicine.
- Changing the medicine
dosage.
- Having blood tests to make sure you have the right levels of seizure medicine in your body.
- Taking
folic acid or other supplements before you
conceive and during certain times of your pregnancy. (Folic acid reduces the
risk of some birth defects.)
Your doctor may talk with you about taking vitamin K during your pregnancy.
You may put yourself and your
baby at greater risk if you change, reduce, or stop taking your medicine while you are
pregnant. Talk with your doctor first.
Other concerns
- During your pregnancy, you may need more
frequent checkups to monitor the baby's condition and blood tests to monitor
your drug levels.
- After your baby is born, he or she may need to
take extra vitamin K for a short period of time. (Some antiepileptic medicines
can cause a temporary blood disorder in newborns that makes it difficult for
their blood to clot normally. Vitamin K can help reverse this
problem.)
- Breast-feeding while you are taking antiepileptic
medicine is usually safe. But talk to your doctor about any concerns you have.
If you are taking a barbiturate (such as phenobarbital) to control your
seizures, breast-feeding may make the baby drowsy or irritable, because the
drug may get into your breast milk.
If you have epilepsy and find out that you are pregnant, consult your
doctor immediately. Do not stop taking your medicine without first talking to
your doctor.
References
Citations
- Schachter SC (2003). Epilepsy: Etiology and
manifestations. In RW Evans, ed., Saunders Manual of Neurologic Practice, part VII, pp. 244–265. Philadelphia: Curtis
Center.
- Harden CL, et al. (2009). Practice parameter update: Management issues for women with epilepsy—Focus on pregnancy (an evidence-based review): Teratogenesis and perinatal outcomes: Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee and Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society. Neurology, 73(2): 133–141.
- Harden CL, et al. (2009). Practice parameter update: Management issues for women with epilepsy—Focus on pregnancy (an evidence-based review): Vitamin K, folic acid, blood levels, and breastfeeding: Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee and Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and American Epilepsy Society. Neurology, 73(2): 142–149.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Steven C. Schachter, MD - Neurology |
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| Last Revised | August 26, 2011 |
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Last Revised:
August 26, 2011
Schachter SC (2003). Epilepsy: Etiology and
manifestations. In RW Evans, ed., Saunders Manual of Neurologic Practice, part VII, pp. 244–265. Philadelphia: Curtis
Center.
Harden CL, et al. (2009). Practice parameter update: Management issues for women with epilepsy—Focus on pregnancy (an evidence-based review): Teratogenesis and perinatal outcomes: Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee and Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society. Neurology, 73(2): 133–141.
Harden CL, et al. (2009). Practice parameter update: Management issues for women with epilepsy—Focus on pregnancy (an evidence-based review): Vitamin K, folic acid, blood levels, and breastfeeding: Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee and Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and American Epilepsy Society. Neurology, 73(2): 142–149.