A recent study published in Epilepsia reveals more about the effect of multiple anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) on unborn babies, especially once those babies become teenagers. AEDs have long been suspected of causing cognitive damage, psychomotor delay and lower IQ.
Two Swedish universities conducted a joint study where researchers identified epileptic mothers who had given birth between 1973 and 1986. Then they looked at the academic performance of these 1,235 children and compared their school performance to all other children in Sweden (1,307,083).
Researchers found that teenagers exposed to two or more AEDs in the womb were more likely to drop out of high school. Children who had been exposed to one AED typically stayed in school, but their marks were lower.
“Our results suggest exposure to several AEDs in the womb may have a negative effect on the child’s neurodevelopment,” said lead study author Lisa Forsberg, M.D. “If possible pregnant women should avoid using multiple anticonvulsants to treat their seizures.”