EEC 2022 | Investigating prenatal exposures and long-term outcomes in the children of women with epilepsy

Marte-Helene Bjork, MD, PhD, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, discusses ongoing real-world data studies, assessing factors influencing outcomes for pregnant women with epilepsy and their children. Several associations are well established in this space, such as the teratogenic potential of certain anti-seizure medications and the importance of folic acid supplementation for fetal neurodevelopment and malformation prevention. Both immediate birth outcomes for mother and child and long-term developmental outcomes continue to be assessed in relation to several prenatal exposures. Other associations under investigation include the impact of folic acid use throughout pregnancy on risk of preterm birth and the safety of lacosamide during pregnancy. This interview took place at the 14th European Epilepsy Congress (EEC) 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland.