Long‐Term Neuropsychological Consequences of Maternal Epilepsy and Anticonvulsant Treatment During Pregnancy for School‐Age Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Maternal epilepsy and AED therapy during pregnancy appear to have long-term effects on the offspring well into adolescence, as evinced in EEG patterns, minor neurologic dysfunction, and intellectual performance. Severity of effects increased from control group to epilepsy/no-drug group to monotherapy group and was most marked in the polytherapy group. These group differences are assumed to reflect differential neural vulnerability to social and family factors.