Reproduction among individuals with idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy: risk factors for spontaneous abortion.
OBJECTIVE
We wished to determine the effects of seizure type, age at onset, and family history of epilepsy on risk of spontaneous abortion in the pregnancies of adults with idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy.


METHODS
We examined pregnancy outcomes in 812 adults with idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy who had ever had or fathered a pregnancy and 250 of their same sex siblings who had ever had or fathered a pregnancy. We compared the likelihood of spontaneous abortion before and after onset of epilepsy with the likelihood of spontaneous abortion among same sex siblings.


RESULTS
Risk of spontaneous abortion was not increased before onset of epilepsy. After onset of epilepsy, risk of spontaneous abortion was significantly increased in the pregnancies of wives of men who had localization-related epilepsy with age at onset <10 years or who did not have a family history of epilepsy. In women after onset of epilepsy, risk of spontaneous abortion was significantly increased for pregnancies of women with localization-related epilepsy with age at onset < or =20 years and for those of women with or without a family history of epilepsy. Risk of spontaneous abortion was greatest in the pregnancies of women with a positive family history of epilepsy odds ratio, (OR = 2.12, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Risk of spontaneous abortion in the pregnancies of men and women with idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy varied with the clinical characteristics of their epilepsy. The increased risk of spontaneous abortion in women with a family history of epilepsy may influence the observed risk of epilepsy in their live-born offspring.
Schupf
N
N
Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and Epidemiology Division, School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
Ottman
R
R
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D004522:Educational Status; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors