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Effect of epilepsy in pregnancy on fetal growth restriction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

Purpose

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases during pregnancy. However, the influence of epilepsy on fetal growth is not understood. Thus, this study conducted a meta-analysis to determine the influence of epilepsy during pregnancy on fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Methods

BIOSIS, Medline, Embase, and PubMed databases were searched between January 2000 and January 2016. Without imposing language or regional restrictions, referenced articles were selected.

Results

Final analysis included 684 citations from 11 studies. Estimated risk of FGR was 1.28-fold higher in epileptic pregnant women than in non-epileptic women [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.09–1.50, p < 0.05]. Given the course of previous studies, hierarchical analysis of pregnant women who use antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) was conducted. Results show that FGR rate is significantly increased even if AEDs were taken [odds ratio 1.26, 95% CI 1.13–1.41, p < 0.05].

Conclusions

Although modest bias cannot be avoided, our meta-analysis indicated that epilepsy participates in fetal development as an unfavorable factor, and AEDs seemed to be useless in decreasing the occurrence rate of FGR.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 20, Section 3, RenminNanlu Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China

    Daijuan Chen, Xia Duan, Hongling Peng & Bing Peng

  2. West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China

    Daijuan Chen & Xia Duan

  3. West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China

    Lisha Hou

  4. The Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China

    Hongling Peng & Bing Peng

Authors
  1. Daijuan Chen
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  2. Lisha Hou
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  3. Xia Duan
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  4. Hongling Peng
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  5. Bing Peng
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Contributions

HLP, BP: Project development, manuscript editing. DJC: Data collection, manuscript writing. XD: Data collection. LSH, HLP: Data analysis.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Hongling Peng or Bing Peng.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Chen, D., Hou, L., Duan, X. et al. Effect of epilepsy in pregnancy on fetal growth restriction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet 296, 421–427 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-017-4404-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-017-4404-y

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