Major Congenital Malformation Rate Is Low with Levetiracetam

A registry study from the U.K. and Ireland shows that the rate was low with levetiracetam monotherapy but higher with polytherapy.

Antiepileptic drug (AED) use in pregnancy is known to increase rates of major congenital malformations (MCMs). Therefore, finding an AED with a low rate of malformations is critical to provide the best developmental outcome for offspring of women with epilepsy (WWE). The U.K. and Ireland Epilepsy and Pregnancy Registers are joined prospective, observational registries that began in 1996 and 2001 to study rates of MCMs associated with AED use in pregnancy. Women enroll before any diagnosis of MCMs, usually in the first trimester. For about 10 years, the registry recorded 671 pregnancies exposed to levetiracetam (LVT) and reported on malformation rates and neonatal outcomes.

For 304 WWE taking LVT in monotherapy for seizure treatment, 0.70% of…

Reviewing Author

Autumn Klein, MD, PhD