UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register

Department of Neurology (Ward 4E)
Royal Victoria Hospital
Belfast
BT12 6BA

Tel: 0800 389 1248
Fax: 0289 0235 258
Web: www.epilepsyandpregnancy.co.uk

Pregnancy is an exciting yet potentially worrying time in a woman's life. For pregnant women with epilepsy a major concern may be whether their anti-epileptic drug treatment will cause any harm to their unborn child.

A major study has been established in conjunction with the British Neurological Surveillance Unit to collect information about the safety of anti-epileptic drugs in pregnancy.

A vital part of that study is the UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register.

Over recent years, the number of epilepsy drugs has almost doubled, so there is a need to determine which anti-epileptic treatments provide the best seizure control for each individual with the smallest risk to the baby's health.

In order to do this, it is necessary to know which drugs a woman takes during her pregnancy and to correlate that with the health of her baby at birth. That is why the UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register has been set up with the British Neurological Surveillance Unit.

The aim is to identify which epilepsy drug therapy women are taking during pregnancy and to collect information, from their General Practitioner, on the health of their babies after birth. They would also like women, diagnosed with epilepsy, who are not taking anti-epileptic drugs to control their epilepsy, to register their pregnancy.

By agreeing to join the Register, you will be contributing to knowledge that may well be of great value to pregnant women in the future.