Results of epilepsy diagnosed pregnancy, mother and fetusa

Objective:Management of epileptic patient during pregnancy can be difficult. Even though they give birth to healthy children most of the times (92-96 %), premature birth, low birth weight, fetal and neonatal death, congenital malformations and growth retardation rate are higher in epileptic patients than normal population. Seizures, antiepileptic drugs, genetic and socio-economic factors can have a negative effect on fatal health.Purpose of this study is to determine the pregnancy results, birth complications, developmentol parameters of the newborns and possible malformations due to the antiepileptic drugs epileptic patients. Method:Fifty five epileptic pregnant patients, who gave birth between 14 February 2014 – 14 February 2016 were included in this study. Seizure type, frequency, antiepileptic drugs that were used, size and malformations of the infants were recorded. Results: Two (3.6 %) of the babies had died intrauterine. The mean birth weight of the babies was 3088 gram, 20 % of the babies had low birth weight under 2500 grams. Babies' mean head circumference was 33.98 cm and mean height was 48.44 cm. There were facial malfomations in 5.5%, organ malformation(tetralogy of Fallot, secundum atrial septal defect, gastroschisis, thyroid hypoplasia) in 7.3 % of the babies. Conclusion:In more than 50 % of our patients, seizure frequency did not change during pregnancy. Patients with generalized seizures had higher mortality and malformation rate in their babies as compared to patients with partial seizures. Rate of healthy newborns was higher in patients on monotherapy as compared to patients who were on polytherapy or no medication. Among the patients on polytherapy, those with valproic acid combination or with valproic acid more than 1000mg/day had higher rate of newborns with malformation. Patients who were on folic acid treatment before pregnancy had a lower risk of giving birth to malformed infants.