title: Epilepsy and pregnancy--a review of 98 pregnancies.
abstract: This study presents the clinical and management problems in 81 epileptic patients attending the Queen Victoria Hospital for 98 pregnancies between 1985 and 1988. Epileptic women were found to have a 26.1% risk of seizure deterioration during pregnancy and the single most important factor for predicting seizure prognosis was the severity of epilepsy prepregnancy. There was a significant increase in the complications of vaginal bleeding, preeclampsia, and preterm delivery, compared with a control group of women. Infants of epileptic mothers had an increased incidence of low birth-weight and lower Apgar scores at 5 minutes. The congenital abnormality rate was 14.3% (9 major and 5 minor abnormalities). These results confirm that pregnant epileptic women are a high risk group.
authors.affiliation: Queen Victoria Hospital, South Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hotham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001034:Apgar Score; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants