Foetal Head Growth Retardation due to Antiepileptic Drugs: With Reference to GH, TSH, T4. T3 and Reverse T3 Concentrations

Abstract

To study the mechanisms of inhibitory action of antiepileptic drugs on foetal head growth, determinations were made of the growth hormone, thyrotropin and thyroid hormone levels in the sera of pregnant women, and the correlations between each hormone concentration and the foetal head circumference were studied. The thyroxine level decreased in the maternal serum and in the cord blood, and the thyrotropin level also became lower in the epileptic mother taking antiepileptic drugs. The growth hormone level in the umbilical vein sample of the epileptic mother was lower than that in the controls. The correlations between the head circumference of an infant at delivery and the decreased levels of the hormones seemed to indicate that a decrease in the thyroxine level, caused by antiepileptic drugs, produced the foetal head growth retardation.

Intrauterine growth in the offspring of epileptic mothers

“…As far as the etiological factors are concerned, it has been suggested that fetal head growth retardation may depend on the decreased thyroxine, thyrotropine and growth hormone levels induced by antiepileptic drugs (28). Our study design did not include the systematic evaluation of these hormones and we are therefore unable to confirm this hypothesis.…”

Epilepsietherapie und Schwangerschaft

“…Zunãchst wurden diese >kleinen<< Mi1bi1dungen, zu denen vor allem kraniofaziale Dysmorphien und Hypoplasien von Fingern und Zehen zählen, nach intrauteriner Phenytoin-Exposition beobachtet und deshaib als -fetales Hydantoin-Syndrom<< beschrieben (24, 44, 47). Bald wurden derartige Veranderungen jedoch auch im Zusammenhang mit Phenobarbital (4,5,7,46), Primidon (46, SO), Trimethadion 5 (3,10,27,29,32,35,41).…”