We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
from Part V - Family planning, pregnancy, and parenting
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 November 2009
Dr Aline Derdiarian is a practicing neurologist and epilepsy specialist. She lectures widely on this topic. She is currently in private practice in California. This chapter also includes further information on gynecological and obstetrical care of women with epilepsy. This information should provide a good basis for discussion between the woman with epilepsy, her neurologist and obstetrician/gynecologist.
MJMIntroduction
Every pregnant woman wants to be certain that her baby is born healthy. Although women with epilepsy have a somewhat higher risk of having a child with a birth defect than do women without epilepsy, many overestimate the risk, partly because of the many misconceptions about epilepsy and pregnancy, even today. With the help of her physician or nurse, each woman with epilepsy can make a realistic assessment about the risks of pregnancy given her particular situation. It is important to remember that, with good preconception and prenatal care, more than 90% of women with epilepsy will have a normal, healthy infant.
Causes and mechanisms of birth defects/adverse outcomes
Birth defects include major congenital malformations and minor anomalies. Major malformations are significant physical defects which may be life threatening and generally require surgical treatment. Four to eight percent of children born to mothers with epilepsy have a major malformation, as compared to 2–4% of children born to mothers without epilepsy. Minor abnormalities are defined as variations from normal appearance that have no effect on health or well-being.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
