Bial, Eisai, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, the Netherlands Epilepsy Foundation, and Stockholm County Council.

Impaired intrauterine growth of foetuses in women with epilepsy was identified. The frequency of SGA and low ponderal index was highest in Lamotrigine exposed infants. The epilepsy group had a higher risk profile for having smaller babies, in being younger at age, lower in body weight and more frequent smokers. However despite these differences, the effects of epilepsy and AED exposure were significant. The ponderal index may be a useful supplement to more established measures assessing intrauterine growth in epilepsy.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate birth rates and use of hormonal contraception in different age groups among women with epilepsy (WWE) in comparison to women without epilepsy.Materials and MethodsDemographic data and medical information on more than 25,000 pregnant women (40,000 births), representing 95% of all pregnancies in Oppland County, Norway, were registered in the Oppland Perinatal Database in the period 1989–2011. Data were analyzed with respect to epilepsy diagnoses, and 176 women with a validated epilepsy diagnosis (303 pregnancies) were identified. Age‐specific birth rates in these women were estimated and compared with age‐specific birth rates in women without epilepsy in the same county.ResultsIn WWE over 25 years of age, birth rates were significantly lower than in those of the same age group without epilepsy. In women below 20 years of age, birth rates were similar in those with and without epilepsy. The use of hormonal contraceptives prior to pregnancy was lower among WWE under 25 years than in the corresponding age group without epilepsy.ConclusionsHealth professionals who counsel WWE who are of fertile age should be aware of the strongly reduced birth rates in WWE over 25 years of age, and the lower rates of use of contraceptives among young WWE.