Maternal Epilepsy Tied to Increased Maternal Morbidity, Perinatal Mortality and Morbidity
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Aug. 16, 2024 -- Women with epilepsy have a considerably higher risk for severe maternal and perinatal outcomes and an increased risk for death during pregnancy and postpartum, according to a study published online Aug. 5 in JAMA Neurology.
Neda Razaz, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues examined associations between maternal epilepsy, antiseizure medication use during pregnancy, and risks for severe maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The analysis included 4.5 million deliveries (1996 through 2017; 4.475 million mothers without epilepsy and 35,283 mothers with epilepsy).
The researchers found that the rate of composite severe maternal morbidity and mortality was higher in women with epilepsy versus those without epilepsy (36.9 versus 25.4 per 1,000 deliveries). Compared with women without epilepsy, women with epilepsy had a significantly higher risk for death (0.05 versus 0.23 deaths per 1,000 deliveries; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.86). Maternal epilepsy was associated with increased odds of severe preeclampsia, embolism, disseminated intravascular coagulation or shock, cerebrovascular events, and severe mental health conditions. Among women with epilepsy, fetuses and infants had higher odds of mortality (aOR, 1.20) and severe neonatal morbidity (aOR, 1.48). Women exposed to antiseizure medicines had higher odds of severe maternal morbidity compared with those unexposed (aOR ,1.24), and their neonates had increased odds of mortality and severe morbidity (aOR, 1.37).
"While most women with epilepsy have uncomplicated pregnancies, there is an urgent need for enhanced counselling, perinatal support, and access to specialized care for safe deliveries in all women with epilepsy," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
![](/img/logo/vendor/healthday-logo.png)
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2024
Read this next
Diffusion Tensor Imaging Improves Prognostic Model for Mild TBI
FRIDAY, Aug. 16, 2024 -- For patients with mild traumatic brain injury and normal computed tomography (CT), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) improves existing prognostic models for...
Symptom-Triggered Testing Can ID Low Disease Burden in Ovarian Cancer
FRIDAY, Aug. 16, 2024 -- Symptom-triggered testing can identify women with high-grade serous ovarian cancer with low disease burden, according to a study published online Aug. 13...
Study Detects Cognitive Motor Dissociation in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness
FRIDAY, Aug. 16, 2024 -- Cognitive motor dissociation is seen in about 25 percent of individuals with disorders of consciousness without an observable response to commands...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.