Infants of mothers with epilepsy (IME), are at greater risk for a variety of adverse outcomes of pregnancy. To date most research has focused on congenital malformations. Neonatal and infant mortality rates have been found to be elevated as well. Some of the excess of mortality has been associated with low birth weight, the lower socioeconomic status of many persons with epilepsy has so far been considered a significant confounding factor. We studied fetal death, neonatal and infant mortality rates in 484 infants of mothers with epilepsy (IME), 250 infants of mothers who had convulsions during the pregnancy (IMC), 543 infants whose mothers had post partum convulsions (PPC), 62 infants of mothers with eclampsia (E), and 112,813 controls living in Washington State delivering between 1988 - 1992. All were Medicaid clients, therefore of similar socioeconomic status. Infants of Mothers with epilepsy were three times as likely to have a fetal death as were infants of control mothers. Post neonatal mortality rates were slightly higher for IME (0.6% vs 0.4% for controls), and even higher for those with post partum convulsions (3% if the child also had seizures vs. 2.1% if the child did not). It appears as though gestational seizures not simply maternal epilepsy is associated with an increased risk for post neonatal death. Infants of mothers with epilepsy are at significantly greater risk for fetal death which cannot simply be explained by differences in socioeconomic status or access to medical care.

 

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