title: Prospective, case-control study on the effect of pregnancy on seizure frequency in women with epilepsy.
abstract: To evaluate if pregnancy induces a change in seizure frequency and in percentage of subjects remaining seizure-free. This is a prospective case-control study conducted in our tertiary epilepsy centre. Controls were matched 2:1 with the cases for relevant clinical parameters. Cases had to be referred to our centre for at least 9 months before-pregnancy, during pregnancy and the-9-months-after-birth. Controls were followed for the correspondent periods of time: named respectively control period 1-2-3. Seizure frequency was defined as "improved" if there was a 50 % of reduction, "worsened" if there was a 50 % of increase, and "unchanged" in the rest of cases. We recruited 36 cases and 72 controls [in both group mean age was 28 years, partial epilepsy (80.6 %), generalized epilepsy (19.4 %)]; 30 cases and 60 controls were seizure-free before pregnancy and in period 1, respectively. During pregnancy 72 % of cases remained "unchanged" while 8 and 19 % respectively "improved" and "worsened"; moreover, there was no statistical difference in the number of seizure-free patients and in the monthly seizure frequencies. No differences were found in controls. In this prospective case-control study, pregnancy does not affect seizure frequency in women with epilepsy.
authors: Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, Centre for Epilepsy, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: La Neve
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Boero
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Francavilla
authors: Marzia
authors: M
authors: Plantamura
authors: Giusy
authors: G
authors: De Agazio
authors: Luigi M
authors: LM
authors: Specchio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers