domingo, 9 de noviembre de 2014

News from the AED Pregnancy Registry

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The North American AED Pregnancy Registry
NEWSLETTER - FALL 2014 

UPDATE ON MONOTHERAPY FINDINGS
Comparative safety of 11 antiepileptic drugs used during pregnancy 
 
The North American AED (Antiepileptic Drug) Pregnancy Registry announces updated results based on a 2012 study on the comparative safety of AED monotherapy during pregnancy. These results continue to indicate that the prenatal use of traditional antiepileptic medications, such as valproate (Depakote®), phenobarbital, and carbamazepine (Tegretol®), is associated with a higher risk of major malformations than use of the newer generation AEDs such as lamotrigine (Lamictal®) and levetiracetam (Keppra®). However, there is also an increased risk of malformations among infants exposed to topiramate (Topamax®), another newer generation AED.

NEW "FAMILY HISTORY" PROJECT
A message from the Director of the Registry

The Registry will begin a new "Family History" project this year. This study seeks to determine whether the effects of exposure to AEDs during pregnancy depend on the child's genetic makeup. Similar studies are being conducted through AED pregnancy registries in Europe and Australia, and we hope our findings will help physicians in the U.S. and Canada understand better the role genetics play in the prevalence of birth defects.

The Family History project will involve collecting information from current and former Registry participants and their families about their medical history. You may be contacted by the Registry in the coming months with information about this voluntary study.

As always, I want to thank our participants for enrolling in the North American AED Pregnancy Registry, and the physicians who refer their patients to our study. Your contribution to our research allows us to give doctors a clearer picture of which medications are safest for babies' health and contributes to a brighter future for expectant mothers.
                                                            ~ Lewis B. Holmes, M.D., Director

DID YOU SEND BACK YOUR FORMS?
It's never too late!
Have you filled out and returned your medical record release forms? Returning these forms to us is necessary to complete your file. These forms give us permission to obtain medical records for you and your child. If you haven't returned them yet, please fill them out and send them to us so that we can complete your enrollment! It is never too late to send in your forms!

If you need a new set of forms or have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-888-233-2334, or email us at info@aedpregnancyregistry.org. Thank you!

STATISTICS UPDATE

Enrollment:   As of September 2014: 8,952 AED-exposed participants, and 562 unexposed participants (controls)

Gravidity:                                       Education:
1st Pregnancy: 39%                       Some high school or less: 19%
2nd Pregnancy: 29%                      Some college: 24%
3rd Pregnancy: 16%                       College: 35%
4th + Pregnancy: 16%                    Post-graduate: 22%

Ethnicity:                                      Health Insurance:
White: 86%                                   Some form of insurance: 98%
Black: 4%   
Hispanic: 6%
Other: 4%

Drugs Taken:
25 different monotherapies and over 150 different polytherapy combinations.

Trends in AED monotherapy use: This figure is also available on our web site at:
http://www.aedpregnancyregistry.org/trends.pdf

 

WE ARE RECRUITING CONTROLS
A chance for you to win $400!

In addition to our participants who take AEDs during pregnancy, we are currently recruiting for a control group in our study. Control participants are women who are pregnant but not taking any AEDs. It is very important for our analyses to have a control group to compare with the women who are taking AEDs. This internal control group allows us to determine more accurately the risks of AED use in pregnancy.

If you know of someone who can serve as a control, please ask her to call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-233-2334. She will complete the same three telephone interviews. As a token of our appreciation, both you and the friend you refer to the Registry will receive a raffle entry for a chance at winning a $400 American Express Gift Card. The more women you refer, the more chances you have to win the raffle!
The North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry
Please visit our web site for more information:

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