title: Birth outcomes after prenatal exposure to antiepileptic drugs--a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We studied the potential impact of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on fetal growth and gestational age at birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the Danish Medical Birth Registry, we identified all pregnancies with birth outcomes from 1997 to 2008 and linked with data from the Danish National Prescription Register. We used binomial regression to study preterm birth (<37 weeks), low birth weight (<2,500 g), and small for gestational age (SGA), adjusted for potential confounding factors including maternal age, smoking, substance abuse, cohabitation, income, education, and parity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 679,762 singletons, and 2,928 (0.4%) of these had been exposed to AEDs. Exposure to AEDs was associated with a risk of preterm birth (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-1.50) when compared to unexposed children. However, when stratifying on maternal epilepsy, there was no association between AED exposure and preterm birth in offspring of women with epilepsy (aRR 1.00; 95% CI 0.82-1.21), whereas there was a risk associated with AED exposure in offspring of women without epilepsy (aRR 1.56; 95% CI 1.27-1.92). AED exposure was associated with a risk of being born with low birth weight (aRR 1.40; 95% CI 1.22-1.60) both for children born of women with epilepsy (aRR 1.32; 95% CI 1.06-1.63) and children born of women without epilepsy (aRR 1.61; 95% CI 1.28-2.02). The risk of being born SGA associated with AED exposure (aRR 1.21; 95% CI 1.10-1.34) was found both in offspring of women with epilepsy (aRR 1.19; 95% CI 1.02-1.37) and without epilepsy (aRR 1.21; 95% CI 1.01-1.45).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal AED exposure was associated with low birth weight and risk of being born SGA, but only with preterm birth among women without epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Demet
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Maiken Ina Siegismund
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Kjaersgaard
authors.forename: Erik Thorlund
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Parner
authors.forename: Mogens
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vestergaard
authors.forename: Merete Juul
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: Jørn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Bodil Hammer
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Bech
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Lars Henning
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Pedersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012306:Risk; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants
keywords: Antiepileptic drugs; Birth weight; Gestational age; Head circumference; Pregnancy