title: Evaluation of drug therapy and teratogenic risk in a Rhône-Alpes district population of pregnant epileptic women.
abstract: The authors describe a sample of 148 pregnancies in identified epileptic women from 2 distinct sources: questionnaires sent to a group of women, 15-45 years old, having had an EEG between 1976 and 1983, and a computerized registry involving all pregnancies occurring in 3 maternity wards in Lyon between 1979 and 1983. The analysis of drug therapy during early pregnancy showed that the most common regimen was monotherapy. Either in mono- or in polytherapies, phenobarbitone was the drug used most often, the second being valproic acid (67 and 25% of monotherapies, respectively). The epileptic mothers were younger than the controls, and had had fewer pregnancies. Sex and birthweight distribution did not differ from those of the controls. Twenty-six malformed infants (17.7%) were registered. Among them, 18 (70%) had minor defects only. No major malformation was observed in the 'no drug' group, 6.7 and 7.7% of major malformations were observed in the monotherapy and polytherapy groups, respectively.
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants