Journal article
The prescribing of antiepileptic drugs for pregnant Australian women
FJE Vajda, D Horgan, S Hollingworth, J Graham, AA Hitchcock, A Roten, TJ O'Brien, CM Lander, MJ Eadie
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology | WILEY-BLACKWELL | Published : 2012
Abstract
Background: It is not clear how widely it is appreciated in Australia that certain antiepileptic drugs, particularly valproate, are teratogenic. Aim: The aim of the study is to assess trends in the pattern of antiepileptic drug prescribing for pregnant women in Australia to determine whether drug use is optimal, particularly from the fetal viewpoint. Methods: Analysis of data contained in the Australian Register of Antiepileptic Drugs, assessing trends in antiepileptic drug use correlated with pregnancy outcomes. Results: Valproate was the only significant teratogen among the antiepileptic drugs in common use. There was a fetal malformation rate of 14.5% associated with its use in monotherap..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the support of colleagues, medical and non-medical, in referring patients and in increasing patient awareness of the Register. We thank the Scientific Advisory Board and the Ethical Research Committees of St. Vincent's Hospital, Monash Medical Centre, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and other institutions. The Register is indebted for support to the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience Research Foundation, Epilepsy Society of Australia, The Victorian Epilepsy Foundation, and Epilepsy Australia, and also generous financial support from the pharmaceutical industry, including sanofi-aventis, UCB Pharma, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis and Pfizer, and earlier support from Glaxo.