Offspring of Women With Epilepsy Experience Decreased Bone Metabolism

FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Women with epilepsy may have offspring with decreased bone metabolism and lower birth weight, according to a study published online Feb. 3 in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.

Huali Luo, from Zhejiang University in China, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed data from 83 parturients with epilepsy receiving antenatal care (2012 through 2021) and a control group of 249 parturients without epilepsy.

The researchers found that women with epilepsy were significantly more likely to undergo a cesarean section with a lower abortion rate (55.4 versus 37.3 percent). Offspring femoral length in women with epilepsy was significantly reduced versus the control group (6.812 versus 6.923 cm) when adjusting for potential confounding variables. Compared with offspring whose mothers used a single antiseizure medication (ASM) or none, those born to mothers using multiple ASMs had significantly reduced femoral and biparietal lengths. Additionally, using multiple ASMs was associated with significantly lower birth weight in offspring versus women not using ASMs.

“The application of a single ASM during pregnancy is the optimal choice for pregnant women with epilepsy and their offspring, as it can not only control the seizures to reduce the harm caused by seizures during pregnancy but also minimize the restriction of ASMs on the growth and development of offspring,” the authors write.

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