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Guidelines: Pregnancy Safe with Epilepsy, but Valproate Should Be Avoided |
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ST. PAUL, Minn. – New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society show it’s relatively safe for women with epilepsy to become pregnant, but caution must be taken, including avoiding one particular epilepsy drug that can cause birth defects. |
The guidelines are published in the April 27,
2009, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy
of Neurology, and will be presented April 27, 2009, at the Academy’s Annual
Meeting in Seattle. The guidelines recommend women with epilepsy
avoid taking the drug valproate during pregnancy.
“Good evidence shows that valproate is linked
to an increased risk for fetal malformations and decreased thinking skills in
children, whether used by itself or with other medications,” said lead
guideline author Cynthia Harden, MD, Director of the Epilepsy Division at the
University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine and member of the American
Academy of Neurology.
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