RESEARCH ARTICLE


Pregnant Women with Epilepsy in a Developing Country



Silvia Kochen*, 1, 2, Constanza Salera 1, Josef Seni 1
1 Epilepsy Center Ramos Mejía Hospital, Buenos Aires Argentina
2 Epilepsy Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Biology E. de Robertis (IBCN), School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina


Article Metrics

CrossRef Citations:
0
Total Statistics:

Full-Text HTML Views: 2028
Abstract HTML Views: 1698
PDF Downloads: 472
Total Views/Downloads: 4198
Unique Statistics:

Full-Text HTML Views: 980
Abstract HTML Views: 1059
PDF Downloads: 339
Total Views/Downloads: 2378



Creative Commons License
© Kochen et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Epilepsy Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Biology E. de Robertis (IBCN), School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University; National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Rocamora 4122 CABA (1184), Argentina; Tel: +54 11 39718499; Fax: +54 11 49326101; E-mail: skochen@retina.ar


Abstract

This is the first prospective study carried out in Argentina and Latin America to provide the impact of epilepsy throughout the childbearing years life of women, and pregnancy outcome in a population of pregnant women with diagnosis of epilepsy and antiepileptics drugs (AEDs). Ninety-four women were studied prospectively at the Epilepsy Center, the largest in Argentina. Of the 94 women examined in this study only 10% planned their pregnancy and received folic acid before conception.

More than half of women in our study were on monotherapy, with the most frequently prescribed drugs being carbamazepine and valproic acid. In all, 90.4% of the women had a normal pregnancy and delivery. There were 8.5% spontaneous abortions. Major congenital malformations (MCM) was detected in 10.6% of newborns at birth; in the general population it varies between 1.6-3.2%. The results from this study are helpful in the highlighting correct gaps in knowledge in this population group.

Keywords: Epilepsy, gender, women, pregnancy, AEDs, family planning, developing countries.