Russian Register of Pregnancy and Epilepsy

Abstract

The use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations (CMF). Information on the teratogenicity of AEDs is contradictory. The potential negative effects of new-generation AEDs are less well known. Many physicians and patients face difficulties in establishing a balance between the risk of seizures during pregnancy and that of teratogenicity in the use of AEDs. In most foreign countries, there are national and international pregnancy and epilepsy registries that make possible to centralize and systematize information on the safety of AEDs and to also give a true picture of the state of the problem. The Russian pregnancy and epilepsy register (RPER) has been launched since 2017. RPER is a Russian national prospective and retrospective observational study, without interfering with the antiepileptic therapy prescribed by an attending physician to childbearing-aged patients living in the subjects of the Russian Federation. RPER is an independent research initiative and is implemented by neurologists and psychiatrists who provide assistance to women with epilepsy. The main goal of the RPER is to compare the risk of serious CMFs following the maternal intake of various AEDs and their combinations in different regions of the Russian Federation and to develop strategies for preventing CMFs.