title: Pregnancy outcome in women exposed to antiepileptic drugs: teratogenic role of maternal epilepsy and its pharmacologic treatment.
abstract: Infants born to epileptic women treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have an increased risk of major congenital malformations (MCMs). In order to determine the role of maternal epilepsy we conducted a prospective cohort study on three cohorts of pregnant women: (i) 385 epileptic women treated with AEDs, (ii) 310 non-epileptic women treated with AEDs, (iii) 867 healthy women not exposed to AEDs (control group). The rate of MCMs in the epileptic group (7.7%) was not statistically higher than in the non-epileptic one (3.9%) (p=0.068). The rate in the first group was higher compared to the control group (p=0.001), while the rate in the second one was not (p=0.534). Our data confirm that AEDs therapy is the main cause of the increased risk of malformations in the offspring of epileptic women; however a teratogenic role of the maternal epilepsy itself cannot be excluded.
authors.affiliation: Teratology Information Service, Clinical Genetics Unit, Department of Woman and Child Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. matteo.cassina@unipd.it
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cassina
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dilaghi
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Gianantonio
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cesari
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Santis
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mannaioni
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pistelli
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clementi
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants