Which antiepileptic drug is safe in pregnancy?
A review of the risks of major congenital malformations and of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes for antiepileptic drugs by the Commission on Human Medicines has confirmed that lamotrigine (Lamictal) and levetiracetam (Keppra) are the safer of the medicines reviewed during pregnancy.
Is Phenobarbitone safe in pregnancy?
This drug crosses the placental barrier and distributes in fetal tissues, including the placenta, liver, and brain. Use during the first and third trimesters may be associated with an increased risk of teratogenicity and withdrawal symptoms in the newborn, respectively.
Which antiepileptic drugs are teratogenic?
Valproate is the drug with the highest risk, whereas prevalence of MCMs is lowest with lamotrigine, levetiracetam, and oxcarbazepine. For valproate, phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine, the risk of MCMs is dose-dependent.
Are epilepsy medications safe during pregnancy?
Medication you take during pregnancy can affect your baby. Birth defects — including cleft palate, neural tube defects, skeletal abnormalities, and congenital heart and urinary tract defects — are a few potential side effects associated with anti-seizure medications.
Is Lacosamide safe in pregnancy?
Lacosamide is listed in Pregnancy Category C. This means that caution is advised, but the benefits of the medicine may outweigh the potential risks. Talk to your health care providers if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Is carbamazepine safe in pregnancy?
Carbamazepine Pregnancy Warnings This drug may cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women. Epidemiological data suggests an association between the use of this drug during pregnancy and congenital malformations, including spina bifida.
Why is phenobarbital contraindicated in pregnancy?
Phenobarbital may lower folic acid and vitamin K levels, increasing the risk of spinal cord defects. Infants born to mothers who have use this medication during pregnancy may also have symptoms such as fussiness, shaking, or bleeding.
Why is phenobarbital used in pregnancy?
Phenobarbital has been used widely in clinical practice as a sedative and anticonvulsant since 1912 [1] among pregnant women as well. Phenobarbital crosses the placenta to the fetus; however, this transfer is influenced by the duration of treatment, pregnancy age, and arterial blood pH [2].
Is levetiracetam safe in pregnancy?
Levetiracetam (LEV) is one such AED which is supposed to be effective in controlling seizures during pregnancy and relatively free of teratogenic side effects.
What pregnancy category is lacosamide?
Lacosamide is listed in Pregnancy Category C. This means that caution is advised, but the benefits of the medicine may outweigh the potential risks.
Is levetiracetam safe during pregnancy?
Is Carbimazole safe in pregnancy?
Carbimazole is able to cross the human placenta. Based on human experience from epidemiological studies and spontaneous reporting, carbimazole is suspected to cause congenital malformations when administered during pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy and at high doses.
Which antiepileptic drugs are used in pregnancy?
The key antiepileptic drugs were selected for the review on the basis of their place in UK clinical practice. On this basis, data on the use of carbamazepine, gabapentin, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, pregabalin, topiramate, and zonisamide in pregnancy were reviewed.
Should antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) be prescribed during pregnancy?
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Prescribing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in pregnancy is a challenge to the clinician. A multitude of questions arise that must be addressed even prior to conception. In women with proven epilepsy, it may be dangerous to stop or even change the AED regimen during pregnancy.
Why do pregnant women with epilepsy need treatment for epilepsy?
Pregnant women need treatment for epilepsy because it is possible that seizures can cause adverse health outcomes for the mother and her developing baby. However, previous studies consistently have found that babies born to women who take certain antiepileptic medications during pregnancy have an increased risk for birth defects.
Are lamotrigine and carbamazepine polytherapy safe during pregnancy?
A recent study of a cohort of women from the North American AED Pregnancy Registry found that the risk of malformations among infants exposed to lamotrigine and carbamazepine as polytherapy during the first trimester was higher than the corresponding monotherapies only when the polytherapy included valproate [ Holmes et al. 2011 ].