Epilepsy and Pregnancy: Retrospective Analysis of 58 Cases

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the perinatal outcomes of pregnant women diagnosed with epilepsy followed in our clinic.
METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 58 pregnant women diagnosed with epilepsy who were delivered after pregnancy follow-up at Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic between January 2015 and March 2021 were evaluated.
RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 28.4±5.7 years. It was determined that 25 cases (43.1%) had seizures during pregnancy. It was determined that the rate of seizures during pregnancy in those who had a seizure in the past 1 year before pregnancy was statistically significantly higher than those who had their last seizure longer than 1 year (p=0.000). It was found that 72.7% of the patients in the polytherapy group had epileptic seizures during pregnancy, and this rate was significantly higher than the monotherapy group (p=0.042).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The frequency of seizures during pregnancy is strongly associated with epileptic seizure status in the last year before pregnancy and multiple antiepileptic therapies.