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Epilepsy - Management
How do I manage women who are taking AEDs who are pregnant or planning pregnancy?
- For women planning a pregnancy:
- Inform the woman about the risks associated with pregnancy and epilepsy.
- Refer the woman to an epilepsy specialist if she is taking antiepileptic drugs for review of her epilepsy treatment before she becomes pregnant, to discuss the relative risks and benefits of adjusting her medication. Advise her to:
- Continue using effective contraception until a full assessment by the specialist has taken place.
- Continue her antiepileptic drugs and make an urgent appointment to see a GP if she becomes unexpectedly pregnant.
- Prescribe folic acid 5 mg daily. This should be continued throughout the first trimester of pregnancy.
- For women who have become pregnant:
- Advise the woman to continue her antiepileptic drugs, and refer her urgently for review by an epilepsy specialist (if she has not been reviewed before becoming pregnant).
- Encourage her to notify the pregnancy, or allow her clinician to notify the pregnancy, to the UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register (www.epilepsyandpregnancy.co.uk).
In depth
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