Women with epilepsy from childbearing age to menopause: a Moroccan series

Abstract

Women with epilepsy (WWE) face many challenges all along their life, related to the influence of hormones on seizure control and antiepileptic drugs or even the effects of epilepsy on the endocrine system, fetus and newborn life. We evaluated, through a patient-oriented questionnaire, the overall management of WWE in a Moroccan series of 50 female patients. Our survey brought up some issues that need to be addressed: antiepileptic drugs undesirable for pregnancy still appear in the prescriptions for young female patients with epilepsy, contraceptive and preconceptual counselling are lacking, and vitamin supplementations are frequently overlooked. These and many other issues should be closely monitored and managed through the combined efforts of neurologists, obstetricians and gynecologists as well as family doctors, in order to ensure optimal care for WWE.