Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are used by pregnant women to manage conditions such as epilepsy and bipolar disorder even though they pose a risk to the developing foetus. This study aimed to determine the overall use of AEDs by women during their childbearing years and women who are pregnant and the association between AED use and rates of pregnancy termination and spontaneous abortion.
Retrospective population based cohort study using administrative databases in New Zealand between 2008 and 2014. Women who had been pregnant were identified by the National Minimum Dataset and were linked to the Pharmaceutical Collection to obtain information on use of AEDs. Women aged between 15 and 45 years dispensed AEDs were identified in the Pharmaceutical Collection.
There was an increase in the number of women of child-bearing potential prescribed AEDs, from 9 women per 1000 women in 2008 to 11.4 women per 1000 women in 2014. Women who had been dispensed an AED had an increased rate of spontaneous abortion 8.97 spontaneous abortions per 100 pregnancies, compared with, 6.31 per 100 pregnancies (risk ratio 1.42, 95% CI 1.40 to 1.44), and a decreased rate of pregnancy termination, 18.51 terminations per 100 pregnancies compared with 19.58 per 100 pregnancies (risk ratio 1.95, 95% CI 0.94-0.96).
Use of newer AEDs is increasing in women of child-bearing potential in New Zealand leading to an overall increase in AED use in this group despite a fall in the use of older AEDs. AED use is this study was associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and decreased rate of pregnancy termination, however confounding by indication could not be excluded.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
5
8%
Nursing and Health Professions
4
6%
Environmental Science
1
2%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences
1
2%
Other
5
8%
Unknown
27
41%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 24 April 2018.
All research outputs
#22,501,178
of 34,614,958 outputs
Outputs from BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
#3,694
of 5,846 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#225,069
of 373,479 outputs
Outputs of similar age from BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
#85
of 107 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,614,958 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 33rd percentile – i.e., 33% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 5,846 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 10.4. This one is in the 35th percentile – i.e., 35% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 373,479 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 38th percentile – i.e., 38% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 107 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 20th percentile – i.e., 20% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
