The preconception care experiences of women with epilepsy on sodium valproate.

Purpose: To understand the preconception experiences of women with epilepsy who have been taking the teratogenic drug valproate.

Methods: Seven women were recruited, three from a preconception clinic and four from an antenatal clinic in a region of the UK. All had taken valproate preconceptionally.

Levetiracetam in pregnancy: results from the UK and Ireland epilepsy and pregnancy registers.

Objectives: Levetiracetam is a broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug (AED) which is currently licensed in the United States and the United Kingdom and Ireland for use as adjunctive treatment of focal-onset seizures and myoclonic seizures or generalized tonic-clonic seizures, occurring as part of generalized epilepsy syndromes. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is also licensed as monotherapy treatment for focal-onset seizures. Previous small studies have suggested a low risk for major congenital malformations (MCM) with levetiracetam use in pregnancy.

Recurrence risk of congenital malformations in infants exposed to antiepileptic drugs in utero.

Purpose: Use of antiepileptic drugs in pregnancy is associated with congenital malformations and developmental delay. Previous studies have suggested that women who have had one child with a congenital malformation are at increased risk of having other children with malformations. We sought to confirm the magnitude of risk in a large cohort drawn from the United Kingdom Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register.

Neurodevelopment of children exposed in utero to lamotrigine, sodium valproate and carbamazepine.

Objective: To establish the relative risks of in utero exposure to lamotrigine (LTG), sodium valproate (NaV) and carbamazepine (CBZ) monotherapy for neurodevelopment.

Design: Observational cohort study.

Patients And Methods: The study group consisted of children in Northern Ireland aged 9-60 months born to mothers who had enrolled with the UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register.

Pregnancy registries: differences, similarities, and possible harmonization.

Epilepsy and pregnancy registries have been operational for more than 10 years, have accrued considerable experience, and collected an impressive amount of data. As findings have been published, it has become important to understand how observations from the different registries are comparable, especially since their methodologies differ somewhat. In September 2008, representatives of the UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register, the North American AED Pregnancy Registry (NAAPR), and the European and International Registry of Antiepileptic Drugs in Pregnancy (EURAP) met for a workshop.

Psychological processes and histories associated with nonepileptic versus epileptic seizure presentations.

Nonepileptic seizures (NES) provide a clinical challenge as the mechanisms involved remain uncertain. The present study compares 27 participants with confirmed NES presentations with 39 individuals with epileptic seizure (ES) presentations only, on indices of psychopathology, trauma history, dissociative propensity, and attachment style. Psychopathology and dissociation were found to be significantly elevated in the NES group compared with the ES group.

Antiepileptic drug exposure and major congenital malformations: the role of pregnancy registries.

The use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of fetal malformations. Although it is known that AEDs may differ with respect to the type of malformations they can induce, earlier studies have generally lacked the power to demonstrate differences between AEDs in their overall teratogenic potential. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to assess the clinical teratogenic potential of the newer-generation AEDs.

Safety of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy.

Women with epilepsy taking antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy have been shown to have an increased risk of having a child with a major malformation. There is some recent evidence to suggest that these drugs may also affect cognitive and behavioural development. Epilepsy is a common neurological condition and women with epilepsy constitute a significant number of pregnancies in the UK each year.