Pregnant Women With Epilepsy Should Have Specialized Health Care

Pregnant women with epilepsy need to receive specialized health care so that deaths can be prevented. This is according to new guidelines set forth by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) in the United Kingdom.

According to the RCOG, pregnant women with epilepsy have a ten-fold increased risk of death compared to pregnant women without epilepsy. SUDEP (sudden unexpected death in epilepsy) was reportedly the leading cause of death in pregnant women with epilepsy. 

Pregnant women with epilepsy need more help to reduce deaths, say t... https://t.co/RKUejh1fuM via @MailOnline

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Specialists Need To Be Sought Before Pregnancy

The RCOG encouraged women with epilepsy to seek health care advice before getting pregnant. The RCOG said that women with epilepsy who plan to get pregnant should consult with a specialist in epilepsy regarding what and how much anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs) to take relative to the risk for the babies and seizures.

BBC reported that unborn babies face health risks from AEDs taken by their mothers, specifically sodium valproate. However, the report added that seizures can worsen and can increase health risks for both the pregnant woman and the baby if taking the AEDs is terminated or cut down.

The RCOD said that that most pregnant women with epilepsy give birth to healthy babies. The chances of congenital abnormalities in babies is said to be hinged on the type, number and does of AEDs.

Managing Epilepsy In And After Pregnancy

"Women with epilepsy require multidisciplinary care throughout their pregnancy, and healthcare professionals need to be aware of the small but significant increase in risks," lead author Shakila Thangaratinam said, as per Daily Mail. Thangaratinam is aprofessor of maternal and perinatal health and consultant obstetrician

Web MD reported that yearly, there are around 2,500 babies born to women with epilepsy in the United kingdom. Common epilepsy initiators stress and lack of sleep were said to happen frequently in pregnancy and when a mother is looking after a newborn. According to the RCOG, mothers with epilepsy should be "well supported in the postnatal period to ensure that triggers of seizure deterioration such as sleep deprivation, stress and pain are minimized."

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