Multi-drug therapy of pregnant woman’s epilepsy may negatively affect the nervous system of the fetus and result in poor school results in the child’s adolescence, informs EurekAlert.
Such conclusions were made by scientists from Karolinska University Hospital and the University of Lund in Sweden, after examining a large population of pregnant women.
Scientists looked at ladies with epilepsy and their offspring born between 1973 and 1986. They counted 1235 children whose mothers were treated for epilepsy. Of these, 641 were exposed in fetal development to epilepsy monotherapy (single drug administration), 429 to polytherapy (multiple antiepileptic drugs), and 165 had no type of treatment identified.
Those children whose mothers were given two or more antiepileptic drugs more frequently – did not get their school leaving certificate at age 16 – that is, when compulsory schooling was over.
In adolescents of mothers taking one drug for epilepsy, no such risk was seen, but it was noted that they were less likely to receive a certificate with a strip.
Our results suggest that exposure to multi-drug therapy for epilepsy during pregnancy could have a negative effect on the development of a baby’s nervous system, says Dr. Lisa Forsberg, lead author of the study. – If possible, pregnant mothers should avoid such therapy (PAP)