title: Normal growth during lamotrigine monotherapy in pediatric epilepsy patients -- a prospective evaluation of 103 children and adolescents.
abstract: Physical maturation is one of the essential developmental processes during childhood and adolescence, which can be adversely affected by a number of internal and external factors. An important side effect associated with the long-term use of some antiepileptic drugs is change in body weight, followed by an increased risk for subsequent maturational problems in pediatric epilepsy patients. To evaluate the effect of lamotrigine on body growth in children and adolescents with epilepsy, weight, height and body mass index (BMI) values of 103 pediatric epilepsy patients (m/f ratio: 53/50) treated with lamotrigine monotherapy were prospectively evaluated for a period of 18.7+/-11.8 (range 6--71) months. Age at therapy introduction was 6.7+/-2.7 (range 1.6-16.4) years and daily lamotrigine dose was 7.4+/-2.2 (range 3.5--14.2) mg/kg body weight (BW). Standard deviation scores (S.D.S.) at therapy initiation versus follow-up were height -- S.D.S.: 0.07+/-0.42 versus 0.08+/-0.42 (P=n.s.); weight -- S.D.S.: -0.01+/-0.44 versus -0.01+/-0.43 (P=n.s.) and BMI -- S.D.S.: -0.24+/-0.47 versus -0.25+/-0.37 (P=n.s.). Lamotrigine long-term monotherapy was associated with normal body growth in pediatric and adolescent patients with epilepsy, regardless of patient age, gender or duration of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Neuropediatric Department, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Loschgestrasse 15, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany. michael.ueberall@kinder.imed.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ueberall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D000077213:Lamotrigine