Publication:

Prospective study of fetomaternal outcome in epilepsy in pregnancy in a tertiary care hospital

Background Epilepsy is the second most common neurological disorder in obstetrics after migraine. There are conflicting reports about the effect of epilepsy on pregnancy. Objective of present study was to evaluate fetomaternal outcome in patients with epilepsy.

Methods This prospective study was conducted in Government Thanjavur medical college hospital, Tamil Nadu, India over a period of 15 months from January 2015 to March 2016 in all epilepsy cases. Total 110 epilepsy cases were admitted. In all cases maternofetal outcome were noted.

Results This study showed that the incidence of epilepsy in pregnancy in our hospital is 0.6%. 86.36% of patients were treated with antiepileptic medications during their pregnancies.  Pregnancy complications were anemia, gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, intrauterine growth retardation, premature rupture of membrane, and vaginal bleeding. Live birth rate was 91.82%.  Low birth weight babies were recorded in 24 (21.82%) infants. Only one baby had congenital anomaly of cleft lip and palate.

Conclusions There was no significant increase in the risk of complications of pregnancy or delivery.Frequency of cesarean section is not increased in epileptic patients. There is no undue risk to pregnancy and childbirth in most of the cases.