Antiepileptic Drugs and Pregnancy : A Guide for Prescribers

A description of our current understanding of antiepileptic drug use during pregnancy, this book includes chapters on the impact of seizures on the mother and developing child, changes in maternal physiology during pregnancy and its impact on drug disposition, and the pharmacokinetic differences between the various anti-seizure medications. It also deals with the possible harmful effects of antiepileptic drug exposure during pregnancy on the physical and intellectual development of the fetus. Clinicians have to balance the potential adverse effects of the medicine for the fetus and mother-to-be against the risks that uncontrolled seizures hold for both when treating pregnant women with antiepileptic drugs. Only recently have enough scientific data emerged to provide a rational basis for treatment decisions that take in both aspects. This work provides a single, accessible, and up-to-date resource for busy clinicians Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-4 Antiepileptic Drugs and Becoming Pregnant....Pages 5-13 Front Matter....Pages 15-15 Antiepileptic Drug Disposition in Pregnancy....Pages 17-26 The Older Antiepileptic Drugs....Pages 27-66 Commonly Used Newer Antiepileptic Drugs....Pages 67-85 Antiepileptic Drugs Sometimes Used in Pregnancy....Pages 87-108 Front Matter....Pages 109-109 Antiepileptic Drugs, Epileptic Seizures and the Foetus....Pages 111-127 Antiepileptic Drugs and Foetal Malformations: A Possible Class Effect....Pages 129-151 Particular Antiepileptic Drugs and Foetal Malformations....Pages 153-174 Antiepileptic Drugs, Cognition and Neurodevelopment....Pages 175-189 Front Matter....Pages 191-191 Antiepileptic Drug Therapy: Management Issues and Pregnancy....Pages 193-213 Antiepileptic Drugs and Pregnancy: The Future....Pages 215-220 Back Matter....Pages 221-232