Caring for pregnant women with long-term conditions: maternal and neonatal effects of epilepsy

Epilepsy affects around 1 in 100 people and every year around 2500 women with epilepsy become pregnant. Although most will have an uneventful pregnancy, pregnancy for women with epilepsy carries additional risks to their wellbeing and that of their developing fetus and their infant. For some women, these risks include worsening symptoms of epilepsy, increased mortality risks and less effective treatment of other conditions and comorbidities like depression. For the developing fetus and infant, exposure to antiepileptic drugs can affect organogenesis and later development. This article highlights essential knowledge about this condition in pregnancy and considers how midwives can contribute to working collaboratively in ways that optimise pregnancy outcomes for these women.

癫痫影响着大约百分之一的人群，每年约有2500名患有癫痫的女性怀孕。尽管大多数人孕期会顺利度过，但癫痫女性怀孕对其自身健康以及发育中的胎儿和婴儿都存在额外风险。对一些女性来说，这些风险包括癫痫症状恶化、死亡风险增加以及对其他疾病（如抑郁症）和合并症的治疗效果不佳。对于发育中的胎儿和婴儿，接触抗癫痫药物会影响器官形成和后期发育。本文强调了孕期关于这种疾病的基本知识，并思考了助产士如何通过协作的方式为这些女性优化妊娠结果做出贡献。