| RESEARCH ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2018 | Volume
: 50
| Issue : 1 | Page : 39-43 |
Levetiracetam use during pregnancy in women with epilepsy: Preliminary observations from a tertiary care center in Northern India
Ramandeep Bansal1, Vanita Suri1, Seema Chopra1, Neelam Aggarwal1, Pooja Sikka1, Subhas Chandra Saha1, Manoj Kumar Goyal2, Praveen Kumar3
1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
2 Department of Neurology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
3 Department of Paediatric Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
Correspondence Address:
Ramandeep Bansal
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijp.IJP_692_17
INTRODUCTION: Data on efficacy and safety of levetiracetam (LEV) during pregnancy is still limited. We analyzed efficacy and safety of LEV during pregnancy in North Indian women with epilepsy (WWE) which is being presented here.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 99 WWE (on treatment with a single antiepileptic drug [AED]) who were evaluated in medical-surgical disorder antenatal clinic of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at a tertiary care teaching hospital and referral center in North India. All the obstetric and fetal data as well as data pertaining to epilepsy were noted meticulously.
RESULTS: In this study (n = 99), 35 women received carbamazepine, 28 received LEV, 15 received valproate (VPA), 13 received phenytoin (PHT), three each received oxcarbazepine and lamotrigine, respectively, and two received clobazam. Although the use of VPA was associated with significantly better control of seizures compared to LEV, its use was associated with higher risk of major congenital malformations (13.3%). The incidence of gestational hypertension was lower while incidence of fetal distress was significantly higher in WWE receiving PHT during pregnancy. None of the child born to pregnant women receiving LEV had any congenital malformation.
CONCLUSION: LEV is a first-line AED during pregnancy. Future prospective studies using therapeutic drug monitoring during pregnancy may further help in establishing its role during pregnancy.
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