Pregnancy & Childbirth: Exposure to Epilepsy Drugs During Pregnancy Can Increase Birth defect Risk, Study Finds

[Guest guest]

You can't help but wonder if these pregnant women

were using aspartame in their diet which would

trigger birth defects or if they were using anti

seizure medication with aspartame in it. No one

with the study would even know to take a dietary history.

Betty

www.mpwhi.com, www.dorway.com and wnho.net

Aspartame Toxicity Center, www.holisticmed.com/aspartame

 

 

 

 

 

DAILY WOMEN'S HEALTH POLICY REPORT

PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH | Exposure To Epilepsy

Drugs During Pregnancy Can Increase Birth Defect Risk, Study Finds

[July 23, 2008]

 

Pregnant women with epilepsy who took the seizure

drug topiramate, which is sold by Johnson &

Johnson under the brand name Topamax, increased

their risk of having an infant with birth

defects, especially when taken in combination

with another drug called valproate, according to

a

<http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/71/4/272>study

published in the July 22 issue of journal

Neurology, the

<http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-defects22-2008jul22,0,233\

3020.story>Los

Angeles Times reports. According to the Times,

some experts were " quick to caution " that the

study involved only 203 women and that

" significant statistical uncertainty remained " concerning the research.

 

For the study, John Craig of the Royal Group of

Hospitals in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and

colleagues examined women who took part in the

<http://www.epilepsyandpregnancy.co.uk/>U.K.

Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register and who became

pregnant while taking Topamax on its own or in

combination with other epilepsy drugs. The study

found that of the 203 pregnancies, 18 ended in

spontaneous abortions, five ended in induced

abortions and two ended in stillbirths. Of the

178 infants born, 16 had major birth defects,

including four infants with cleft palates or

lips, and four male infants with genital birth

defects. According to the study, in three of the

16 cases, the women had taken only Topamax, and

in the other 13, the women had taken Topamax in combination with other drugs.

 

Despite the risk, some physicians said that

epileptic women cannot stop taking the drugs

during pregnancy because seizures also can damage

the fetus. Craig said that women who are taking

Topamax to prevent migraines should stop using it

if they become pregnant or are planning to become

pregnant (Maugh, Los Angeles Times, 7/22).

 

Andre Kanner -- associate director of the

<http://www.rush.edu/>Rush University Medical

Center's

<http://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-R11675.html>Epilepsy

Center, who was not a part of the study -- said

the risk of having an infant with birth defects

depends on a combination of factors, not all of

which were evaluated in the study, such as the

age and family history of the women. " This study

should raise a red flag, but we don't want to

start jumping to conclusions because there are

other variables to consider, " Kanner said. He

added, " That said, I would keep an eye open and

use topiramate carefully in epileptic women,

especially in those on combination therapy "

(Marcus,

<http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-21-topiramate-birth-defects_N.htm>U\

SA

Today, 7/22).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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