Intellectual and language functions in children of mothers with epilepsy.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the intellectual and language functions of children of mothers with epilepsy (CME) with that of controls matched for age and socioeconomic status.


METHODS
Cases were CME, aged six years or more (n = 71), drawn from a prospective cohort in the Kerala Registry of Epilepsy and Pregnancy. Controls were 201 children of parents without epilepsy, matched for age and socioeconomic status. The outcome measures included Indian adaptation of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children and MLT-a locally developed proficiency test for regional language. All relevant data were abstracted from the registry records.


RESULTS
The Full Scale IQ and MLT scores were significantly lower for the cases (87.7 +/- 22.6 and 73.4 +/- 17.3) compared to controls (93.0 +/- 14.4 and 83.2 +/- 11.8). Compared to controls, CME scored poor on all subtests of MLT but their impairment was confined to only some of the subtests of IQ. Maternal education and maternal IQ significantly correlated with low IQ and MLT scores for CME whereas type of epilepsy, seizures during pregnancy or low birth weight did not have any significant association with these outcome measures. Polytherapy and higher dosage of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were associated with significant impairment in outcome measures. Infants with low developmental quotient at one year of age continued to have low scores on outcome measures at six years.


CONCLUSIONS
Low maternal IQ, maternal education, and antenatal AED exposure were associated with significant impairment of intellectual and language functions for CME at six years.
Thomas
Sanjeev V
SV
Kerala Registry of Epilepsy and Pregnancy, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India. sanjeev.thomas@gmail.com
Sukumaran
Sajith
S
Lukose
Neetha
N
George
Annamma
A
Sarma
P S
PS
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004522:Educational Status; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007361:Intelligence Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007807:Language Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012923:Social Class
D000927:Anticonvulsants