Kathryn Davis, MD, MSTR: Treatment Considerations for Women With Epilepsy

"A vast majority of women with epilepsy are living with epilepsy during their childbearing years. That’s the most critical piece that I’m thinking about when I see even a very young woman with epilepsy who’s not thinking about having children for years. You want to make sure you’re thinking about seizure medication choices."

While addressing the concerns of women with epilepsy who plan to get pregnant has become a manageable process—according to Sanjeev V. Thomas, MD, DM, chief, neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, proper planning and preparation between the patient and the physician can ensure success—it is still a serious time. The selection process for the proper antiepileptic drug during this period is critical.

In fact, Kathryn Davis, MD, MSTER, noted that the possibility of pregnancy should be on the clinician’s mind for quite some time. She told NeurologyLive^® in an interview at the 2019 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting, May 4-10, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that she believes in being conscious of treatments for those patients who will be going through their childbearing years with epilepsy—as women make up roughly half of those with epilepsy.

The associate professor of neurology and medical director of the epilepsy monitoring unit and Penn epilepsy surgical program at the University of Pennsylvania shared insight into the prioritization of women with epilepsy who may intend to get pregnant. Davis noted that ensuring that her patients can and will be able to go through a safe pregnancy is a number 1 priority.

For more coverage of AAN 2019, click here.