A newer epilepsy drug designed to control seizures appears to reduce the risk of birth defects for women with the disorder who become pregnant.But a long-standing drug does increase the chances of birth defects, according to new research.The findings appear in this week’s issue of Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.Pregnancy for women with epilepsy can be difficult because the drugs they must take to control their seizures have been associated with a three-fold risk for birth defects.The newer drug, lamotrigine, introduced in the last decade, appears to reduce the risk for birth defects to 2.9 percent, which is similar to the 2-to-3 percent risk for the general population, the study reported.The finding is based on an ongoing 12-year registry that compiles information about the risk of birth defects among the children of some 400 women who took lamotrigine while pregnant. The registry is sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturers of lamotrigine, sold as Lamictal.
