EAN 2023 | Preconception planning for women on antiseizure medication: choosing the safest path

Marte-Helene Bjork, MD, PhD, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, recommends that women on antiseizure medication (ASMs) who plan to become pregnant should have a discussion with their physician a year before conception. This discussion is intended to provide information and make a collaborative decision regarding their medication plan for pregnancy. Lamotrigine and levetiracetam are considered as the safer and preferred medication options. However, if patient history or circumstances preclude these ideal choices, alternatives like topiramate and valproate may still be considered. In such cases, it’s crucial to reassure the patient that the increased risk associated with these medications doesn’t guarantee congenital side effects in their child and that a healthy pregnancy outcome is still possible. This interview took place at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) 2023 Congress in Budapest, Hungary.

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