The Course and Outcome of Pregnancy in Women with Epilepsy

Abstract

Information derived from the compulsory national scheme of medical registration of births in Norway has been utilized in a study of the course and outcome of pregnancy in women with epilepsy. The series comprises 371 pregnancies in women with epilepsy and, as controls, 112530 pregnancies in women reporting no disease before or during the pregnancy. Comparisons indicate that women with epilepsy experience an excess of complications during pregnancy and labour, and that their babies are more frequently born prematurely and of low birth weight, and moreover have an excess of congenital malformations and higher perinatal and neonatal mortality rates. Epileptics, undoubtedly, constitute a high risk group in need of special attention during pregnancy and special care during labour. A proper interpretation of the findings in terms of causation, however, will call for additional data obtainable only through especially designed inquiries.