title: Is antenatal vitamin K prophylaxis needed for pregnant women taking anticonvulsants?
abstract: The objective of this cohort study of a consecutive sample of infants exposed during pregnancy to anticonvulsant drugs was to determine if the mother received late pregnancy prophylaxis with vitamin K, and if any infants had signs of hemorrhagic disease. The medical records of 204 neonates exposed to anticonvulsant drugs in utero and 77 unexposed control neonates were retrospectively reviewed. No hemorrhagic disease was observed, and the incidence of bleeding tendencies was not higher in infants exposed to these drugs compared with control infants, despite no prenatal vitamin K supplementation in all but 1 epileptic woman.
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Teratology Unit, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, USA.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choulika
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grabowski
authors.forename: Lewis B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Holmes
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008499:Medical Records; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006475:Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents; D014812:Vitamin K