Abstract
Antiseizure medication have been associated with an increasing risk of congenital anomalies. Medical authorities recommend taking folic acid during the pre-conceptional period to reduce the risk of congenital malformations in the newborns of women with epilepsy (WWE). In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to measure the adherence of Saudi WWE to folic acid intake. We included WWE visiting outpatient epilepsy clinics in King Abdulaziz Medical City and King Fahad Medical City in Riyadh between September 2017 and August 2018. By consecutive non-probability sampling, we identified 85 patients who met the inclusion criteria of the study. The data were collected by a self-administrated questionnaire. We found that the mean age of the subjects was 33 ± 7.5 years. One third were university graduates. Eighty percent were aware of the role of folic acid in preventing congenital anomalies, and 63.9% were taking it during the preconceptional period. No association was found between educational level and adherence to folic acid intake. In conclusion, adherence to folic acid intake among Saudi WWE is not optimal. More efforts are needed to increase patient adherence to folic acid intake.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
