Third of women unaware of meds risk to unborn babies
A third of women taking some of the most commonly prescribed anti-seizure medications are unaware of the risks they pose to unborn babies, according to a new survey.
The results of the Epilepsy Medication in Pregnancy Survey, published today, show that 33 per cent of women taking anti-seizure medication did not know of the increased risk of physical birth abnormalities when taken in pregnancy. This figure rises to over half of women under 24. Medications covered in the survey include topiramate, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin and pregabalin.
IMPORTANT: No woman should stop taking her epilepsy medication without consulting her doctor. If you are worried about your medication, please speak to your GP, neurologist or epilepsy specialist nurse.
These figures demonstrate the importance of Epilepsy Society's Safe Mum, Safe Baby campaign which seeks to raise awareness around the risks posed by these medications when taken during pregnancy.
Safe Mum, Safe Baby is calling on the Government and private sector to fund vital research into safer epilepsy treatments during pregnancy, so women no longer have to make the impossible choice between taking their life-saving drugs and the health of their baby. As part of this campaign, we have presented a petition to the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes, and have been backed by a number of leading MPs.
Commenting on the results, Nicola Swanborough, Head of External Affairs at the Epilepsy Society, said: "It is extremely concerning that, two years after the Commission on Human Medicine's landmark report, there is still such lack of awareness about the risks to unborn babies associated with many epilepsy medicines. Knowledge is power. It is clear that there is insufficient knowledge among women with epilepsy about these risks.”
“And even when women are aware, they often have to make an impossible choice between their life-saving medication and the health of their baby. This is devastating, but the solution is simple: more research. Our Safe Mum, Safe Baby research project has the answer. By studying the genes of father, mother and child, scientists have the expertise to determine the most effective, personalised treatments. The science exists; what is needed is investment. With the right funding, we believe that future generations will not have to face the heart-breaking choices highlighted in this survey."
The survey also found that almost a third - 31 per cent - of women have never spoken with a healthcare professional about the risks of taking anti-seizure medication while pregnant. Again, this figure was higher for women under 24, at 39 per cent.
And, even when information was available, over a third (36 per cent) were not satisfied with the information they had received from healthcare professionals.
However, the survey did indicate that women are increasingly aware of the risks of taking sodium valproate during pregnancy. Only 9 per cent of respondents were unaware of the risks associated with valproate, compared with 18 per cent in a previous 2017 survey, and 17 per cent in 2019.
The Epilepsy Medication in Pregnancy Survey was conducted in November 2022 by Epilepsy Action, Epilepsy Society and Young Epilepsy.
This follows a 2021 Commission on Human Medicines report which showed that a number of epilepsy medicines were linked with an increased risk of birth abnormalities if taken during pregnancy, including carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin and topiramate.