Antiseizure medications use during pregnancy and congenital malformations: A retrospective study in Saudi Arabia

• Main Authors: Bshra A. Alsfouk, Manal Rashed Almarzouqi, Aisha A. Alsfouk, Saleh Alageel, Abdulaziz Alsemari
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-09-01
• Series: Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal
• Subjects: Antiepileptic drugs; Birth defects; Epilepsy; Fetal complications; Perinatal outcomes; Teratogenicity
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016421001493

Aim: To evaluate the incidence of congenital malformations in children exposed prenatally to antiseizure medications (ASMs), to assess other perinatal and fetal complications, and to determine the potential predictors for these complications. Method: A retrospective review of pregnancy outcomes of women with epilepsy. Patients were followed up at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between Dec 1993 and Oct 2020. Results: Of 162 pregnancies included, 10 (6.17%) congenital malformations were observed, 6.82% in ASM-exposed babies versus 3.33% in babies of epilepsy-untreated mothers (P = 0.69). The overall incidence of perinatal and fetal complications was 53%; most frequent were low birth weight (24%), preterm birth (19%), transfer to neonatal intensive care unit (18%) and abortion (8%). These complications were higher in the untreated group (66.67%) than in the ASM group (50%). The use of other non-antiseizure medications during pregnancy was the only factor that significantly increased the risk of complications. Conclusion: Prenatal exposure to ASMs was associated with increased risk of congenital malformations. However, overall perinatal and fetal complications were higher in the untreated group than in the ASM group, which could be explained by maternal seizures. Therefore, taking ASMs to control epilepsy and prevent perinatal complications may outweigh the risks of teratogenicity.