Priyadarshani Galappatthy, Chiranthi Kongala Liyanage, Marianne Nishani Lucas, Dilini TLM Jayasekara, Sachith Aloka Abhayaratna, Chamari Weeraratne, Kusum De Abrew, Padma Sriyani Gunaratne, Ranjani Gamage, Chandrika N Wijeyaratne
BMC pregnancy and childbirth 18 (1), 1-11
Publication year: 2018

Management of epilepsy during pregnancy in a resource-limited setting (RLS) is challenging. This study aimed to assess obstetric outcomes and effects on babies of women with epilepsy (WWE) exposed to Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) compared to non-exposed controls in a RLS. Pregnant WWE were recruited from antenatal and neurology clinics of a tertiary care hospitals in Sri Lanka. Patients were reviewed in each trimester and post-partum. Medication adherence, adverse effects, seizure control and carbamazepine blood levels were monitored. Post-partum, measurements for anthropometric and dysmorphic features of the babies and congenital abnormalities were recorded. Age and sex matched babies not exposed to AED recruited as controls were also examined. Ninety-six pregnant WWE were recruited (mean period of gestation 22.9 weeks). Mean age was 28 years and 48(50%) were primigravidae. Fifty …