RT Book, Section A1 Rogers, Vanessa L. A1 Roberts, Scott W. A2 Papadakis, Maxine A. A2 McPhee, Stephen J. A2 Rabow, Michael W. A2 McQuaid, Kenneth R. SR Print(0) ID 1184182270 T1 Seizure Disorders in Pregnancy T2 Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2022 YR 2022 FD 2022 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781264269389 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1184182270 RD 2024/03/28 AB Epilepsy is one of the most common serious neurologic disorders in pregnant women. Many of the commonly used antiepileptic drugs are known human teratogens. Therefore, the principal objectives in managing pregnancy in epileptic women are achieving adequate control of seizures while minimizing exposure to medications that can cause congenital malformations. Certain women who are contemplating pregnancy and have been seizure-free for 2–5 years may be considered candidates for discontinuation of antiseizure medication prior to pregnancy. For those who continue to require treatment, however, therapy with one medication is preferred. Selecting a regimen should be based on the type of seizure disorder and the risks associated with each medication. Valproic acid should not be considered first-line therapy because it has consistently been associated with higher rates of fetal malformations than most other commonly used antiepileptic drugs, and it may be associated with impaired neurocognitive development in the offspring. Phenytoin and carbamazepine both have established patterns of associated fetal malformations. Concerns about teratogenicity have prompted increasing use of the newer antiepileptic drugs such as lamotrigine, topiramate, oxcarbazepine, and levetiracetam. Although the safety of these medications in pregnancy continues to be evaluated, experiences from ongoing registries and large, population-based studies suggest that in utero exposure to the newer antiepileptic drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy carries a lower risk of major malformations than older medications. Lamotrigine and levetiracetam are considered the least teratogenic. One birth registry, however, found an increase in oral clefts among women taking lamotrigine. Several small studies have found an association between levetiracetam and low birth weight. Some studies suggest that topiramate is associated with a slightly increased risk of oral clefts. Although it is recommended that pregnant women with epilepsy be given supplemental folic acid, it is unclear if supplemental folate decreases rates of fetal malformations in women taking anticonvulsant therapy. Antiepileptic medications may be affected by volume of distribution changes in pregnancy, and serum levels should be followed when appropriate.