Exposure To Epilepsy Drugs During Pregnancy Can Increase Birth Defect Risk, Study Finds

Pregnant women with epilepsy who took the seizure drug topiramate, which is sold by Johnson & Johnson under the brand name Topamax, increased their risk of having an infant with birth defects, especially when taken in combination with another drug called valproate, according to a study published in the July 22 issue of journal Neurology, the Los Angeles Times reports. According to the Times, some experts were "quick to caution" that the study involved only 203 women and that "significant statistical uncertainty remained" concerning the research. For the study, John Craig of the Royal Group of Hospitals in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and colleagues examined women who took part in the U.K. Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register and who became pregnant while taking Topamax on its own or in combination with other epilepsy drugs. The... [read full story]