[Observations on the development of pregnancy in women with epilepsy based on analysis of protein placental hormones and alpha fetoprotein]. / Obserwacja rozwoju ciazy u kobiet chorych na padaczke w oparciu o oznaczenia bialkowych hormonów lozyskowych i alfa-fetoproteiny.

In 19 women with epilepsy the radioimmunoassay determinations in the serum were carried out of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), chorionic somatotropin (HPL) and alpha-fetoprotein. The concentrations of placental hormones were not abnormal, but from the 15th week on a rise in AFP level was observed. In the group with raised AFP level the patients received higher doses of phenytoin. In some cases the AFP level exceeded severalfold that in healthy women. One woman with raised AFP gave birth to a premature newborn which died on the 3rd day, another newborn in this group had congenital anomalies (cerebral hygromas). Although placental dysfunction was not observed in this group, but considering a high proportion of surgical interventions during labour (20%) and raised AFP level, pregnancy in epileptic women should qualify them into high-risk pregnancies requiring particular obstetric care.