Neonatal outcome in infants of epileptic mothers.

The effect of epilepsy and anti-epileptic treatment on neonatal outcome was investigated in 86 pregnancies terminating in delivery. Various maternal and neonatal parameters were considered. Each infant born to an epileptic mother was double-matched with two infants born to healthy mothers and the results were submitted for statistical analysis. Infants of epileptic mothers had smaller head circumference. Primidone was the only anti-epileptic drug, taken during pregnancy, to have a significant effect on infant head circumference. The results suggest that a drug effect, rather than an association with maternal epilepsy, is responsible for this difference. Hypertelorism is the only congenital anomaly to be significantly more frequent in newborns of epileptics. All drugs, except for primidone, were associated significantly with this anomaly. Further similar studies and prolonged follow-up of the infants of epileptic mothers are necessary before drawing any final conclusions regarding the outcome of these infants.