PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - AlSheikh, Mona H.
TI  - Prevalence of epilepsy in Saudi pregnant women and possible effects of anti-epileptic drugs on pregnancy outcomes
AID  - 10.17712/nsj.2020.1.20190077
DP  - 2020 Jan 01
TA  - Neurosciences Journal
PG  - 32--37
VI  - 25
IP  - 1
4099  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/25/1/32.short
4100  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/25/1/32.full
SO  - Neurosciences (Riyadh)2020 Jan 01; 25
AB  - Objectives: To determine the prevalence of epilepsy in Saudi pregnant women and estimate the frequency of seizure types in suffering individuals using different anti-epileptic drug modalities. It also aimed to report the teratogenic effects of anti-epileptic drugs as observed in neonates.Methods: This prospective study was conducted at King Fahd University Hospital from June 2018 to July 2019. Sixty-eight pregnant women diagnosed with epilepsy were included in this study. Seizure types and their frequencies were recorded along with anti-epileptic drug therapies and their association with fetal/neonatal malformations.Results: Out of 68 epileptic pregnant females, 30 (44.1%) experienced focal seizures and 38 (55.9%) experienced generalized seizures. Thirty-nine (57.3%) received monotherapy, 21 (30.9%) received polytherapy and 8 (11.8%) did not take antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy. Thirty-six (52.9%) patients experienced no change in seizure frequency during pregnancy, 19 (27.9%) experienced increase in seizure frequency and 13 (19.1%) showed decreased seizure frequency. The pregnancy outcomes analysis showed 2 (2.9%) intrauterine fetal deaths, whereas 4 (4.9%) neonates showed facial and/or organ malformations.Conclusion: The frequency of seizures was found to increase in only 27.9% of the pregnant women in the sample. Malformation and mortality rates were higher in fetuses/neonates of patients with generalized seizures. It was observed that for the patient group using monotherapy, the rate of healthy babies was higher than that of the group using polytherapy.