Women with epilepsy have poorer knowledge and skills in child rearing than women without epilepsy

AbstractEpilepsy can negatively impact the child rearing ability of women because of the risk related to seizures, adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs and psychosocial factors.ObjectiveTo compare the child rearing knowledge (CRK) and practices (CRP) of women with epilepsy (WWE) with a matched group of women without epilepsy (WWoE).MethodologyThis study was carried out in the Kerala registry of epilepsy and pregnancy (KREP) at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in India. We prospectively recruited 100 WWE in first trimester of pregnancy from the KREP and 93 age, education and parity matched pregnant WWoE from the antenatal clinics of the Government medical college Thiruvananthapuram. Their child rearing knowledge (CRK) and practices (CRP) were evaluated with previously validated protocols. The CRK was assessed at the time of enrolment (first trimester of pregnancy) and the CRP was assessed when the baby was three to four months old.ResultsEighty-eight women each from WWE and WWoE had completed the study, over a period of three years. WWE and WWoE were comparable for age (25.56±4.66 and 25.69±4.49 years), pregnancy outcome and type of delivery. WWE had excess fetal loss and postnatal seizures. The CRK was significantly lower for WWE (23.53±6.3) than for WWoE (26.08±5.3). The CRP was significantly lower for WWE (25.01±9.6) than for WWoE (28.14±7.1). WWE performed poorer in all domains of child rearing practices namely feeding, growth and development, cleaning and protection and infant stimulation. Poorer CRK was strongly associated with lower CRP while several demographic and economic characteristics were not relevant. WWE fared poorer in feeding and nursing their babies in spite of having the right knowledge in that domain. This may be due to several undisclosed concerns and social dynamics that need to be addressed while preparing any interventions

Global survey of guidelines for the management of epilepsy in pregnancy: A report from the international league against epilepsy task force on women and pregnancy

The ILAE Task Force on Women and Pregnancy conducted a survey among ILAE Chapters of their use of guidelines or recommendations for the management of women with epilepsy during pregnancy. A web-based questionnaire including 10 questions was sent to the 118 ILAE Chapters in December 2017 with repeated reminders until the end of February 2018. In total, 77 chapters (65%) responded, although not to all questions. Out of those responding, 68% reported having guidelines or recommendations, 34% of which were from 2014 or earlier. At least 20% of the guidelines did not include information on possible risk to cognitive development, information regarding specific risks with specific antiepileptic drugs, nor recommendations regarding selection of antiepileptic drugs. Among those responding to the question, 91% reported that recommendations were made regarding folate supplementation, but the recommended dose ranged from 0.4 mg/d to 4 mg/d or more; 34% did not include recommendations regarding drug level monitoring during pregnancy, and 19% did not include guidelines on breastfeeding. Our survey demonstrates that there is a need for the development of up-to-date, globally applicable recommendations for the management of epilepsy during pregnancy.Fil: Tomson, Torbjörn. Karolinska Huddinge Hospital. Karolinska Institutet; Suecia. Karolinska University Hospital. Department of Neurology; SueciaFil: Battino, Dina. Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta. Department of Neurophysiology and Experimental Epileptology. Epilepsy Center; ItaliaFil: Bromley, Rebecca. Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Reino Unido. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Kochen, Sara Silvia. Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Alta Complejidad en Red El Cruce Dr. Néstor Carlos Kirchner Samic. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos; ArgentinaFil: Meador, Kimford J.. University of Stanford; Estados UnidosFil: Pennell, Page B.. Brigham and Women's Hospital. Harvard Medical School. Department of Neurology. Divisions of Epilepsy and Women's Health; Estados UnidosFil: Thomas, Sanjeev V.. Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology. Department of Neurology; Indi

Comparative risk of major congenital malformations with eight different antiepileptic drugs: a prospective cohort study of the EURAP registry

Background: Evidence for the comparative teratogenic risk of antiepileptic drugs is insufficient, particularly in relation to the dosage used. Therefore, we aimed to compare the occurrence of major congenital malformations following prenatal exposure to the eight most commonly used antiepileptic drugs in monotherapy. Methods: We did a longitudinal, prospective cohort study based on the EURAP international registry. We included data from pregnancies in women who were exposed to antiepileptic drug monotherapy at conception, prospectively identified from 42 countries contributing to EURAP. Follow-up data were obtained after each trimester, at birth, and 1 year after birth. The primary objective was to compare the risk of major congenital malformations assessed at 1 year after birth in offspring exposed prenatally to one of eight commonly used antiepileptic drugs (carbamazepine, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, topiramate, and valproate) and, whenever a dose dependency was identified, to compare the risks at different dose ranges. Logistic regression was used to make direct comparisons between treatments after adjustment for potential confounders and prognostic factors. Findings: Between June 20, 1999, and May 20, 2016, 7555 prospective pregnancies met the eligibility criteria. Of those eligible, 7355 pregnancies were exposed to one of the eight antiepileptic drugs for which the prevalence of major congenital malformations was 142 (10·3%) of 1381 pregnancies for valproate, 19 (6·5%) of 294 for phenobarbital, eight (6·4%) of 125 for phenytoin, 107 (5·5%) of 1957 for carbamazepine, six (3·9%) of 152 for topiramate, ten (3·0%) of 333 for oxcarbazepine, 74 (2·9%) of 2514 for lamotrigine, and 17 (2·8%) of 599 for levetiracetam. The prevalence of major congenital malformations increased with the dose at time of conception for carbamazepine (p=0·0140), lamotrigine (p=0·0145), phenobarbital (p=0·0390), and valproate (p<0·0001). After adjustment, multivariable analysis showed that the prevalence of major congenital malformations was significantly higher for all doses of carbamazepine and valproate as well as for phenobarbital at doses of more than 80 mg/day than for lamotrigine at doses of 325 mg/day or less. Valproate at doses of 650 mg/day or less was also associated with increased risk of major congenital malformations compared with levetiracetam at doses of 250?4000 mg/day (odds ratio [OR] 2·43, 95% CI 1·30?4·55; p=0·0069). Carbamazepine at doses of more than 700 mg/day was associated with increased risk of major congenital malformations compared with levetiracetam at doses of 250?4000 mg/day (OR 2·41, 95% CI 1·33?4·38; p=0·0055) and oxcarbazepine at doses of 75?4500 mg/day (2·37, 1·17?4·80; p=0·0169). Interpretation: Different antiepileptic drugs and dosages have different teratogenic risks. Risks of major congenital malformation associated with lamotrigine, levetiracetam, and oxcarbazepine were within the range reported in the literature for offspring unexposed to antiepileptic drugs. These findings facilitate rational selection of these drugs, taking into account comparative risks associated with treatment alternatives. Data for topiramate and phenytoin should be interpreted cautiously because of the small number of exposures in this study. Funding: Bial, Eisai, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB, the Netherlands Epilepsy Foundation, and Stockholm County Council.Fil: Tomson, Torbjörn. Karolinska Huddinge Hospital. Karolinska Institutet; SueciaFil: Battino, Dina. Foundation Irccs Neurological Institute "c. Besta"; ItaliaFil: Bonizzoni, Erminio. Università degli Studi di Milano; ItaliaFil: Craig, John. Belfast Health And Social Care Trust; Reino UnidoFil: Lindhout, Dick. Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland; Países BajosFil: Perucca, Emilio. Universita Degli Studi Di Pavia; ItaliaFil: Sabers, Anne. Rigshospitalet; DinamarcaFil: Thomas, Sanjeev V. Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute For Medical Sciences And Technology; IndiaFil: Vajda, Frank. University of Melbourne; AustraliaFil: Kochen, Sara Silvia. Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Alta Complejidad en Red El Cruce Dr. Néstor Carlos Kirchner Samic. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos; ArgentinaFil: Bohorquez Morera, Natalia. Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Alta Complejidad en Red El Cruce Dr. Néstor Carlos Kirchner Samic. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos; Argentin

Is it safe to perform cardiac catheterizations on adults with congenital heart disease in a pediatric catheterization laboratory?

Objective : To determine the complication rate during the catheterization in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) in a pediatric catheterization laboratory (PCL). Background : An increasing number of patients with CHD are surviving into adulthood, with diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization being essential for the management of their disease. The complication rate during the catheterization of adults with CHD has not been reported. Methods : A retrospective chart review was performed on all adult patients (>18 years) with CHD who underwent diagnostic or interventional catheterization in our PCL within the past 8.5 years. Results : A total of 576 procedures were performed on 436 adult patients (median age 26 years). Complex heart disease was present in 387/576 (67%) procedures. An isolated atrial septal defect or patent foramen ovale was present in 115/576 (20%) procedures, and 51/576 (9%) procedures were performed on patients with structurally normal hearts with arrhythmias. Interventional catheterization was performed in 378/576 (66%) procedures. There were complications during 61/576 (10.6%) procedures; 19 were considered major and 42 minor. Major complications were death (1), ventricular fibrillation (1), hypotension requiring inotropes (7), atrial flutter (3), retroperitoneal hematoma, pneumothorax, hemothorax, aortic dissection, renal failure, myocardial ischemia and stent malposition (1 each). The most common minor complications were vascular entry site hematomas and hypotension not requiring inotropes. Procedures performed on patients ≥ 45 years of age had a 19% occurrence of complications overall compared with 9% occurrence rate in patients of age < 45 years ( P < 0.01). Conclusions : The complication rate during the catheterization of adults with CHD in a PCL is similar to the complication rate of children with CHD undergoing cardiac catheterization. The older subset of patients are more likely to encounter complications overall. The encountered complications could be handled effectively in the PCL. With screening in place, it is safe to perform cardiac catheterization on most adults with CHD in a PCL. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/48775/1/20537_ftp.pd

Searching for a Stochastic Background of Gravitational Waves with LIGO

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) has performed the fourth science run, S4, with significantly improved interferometer sensitivities with respect to previous runs. Using data acquired during this science run, we place a limit on the amplitude of a stochastic background of gravitational waves. For a frequency independent spectrum, the new limit is $\Omega_{\rm GW} < 6.5 \times 10^{-5}$. This is currently the most sensitive result in the frequency range 51-150 Hz, with a factor of 13 improvement over the previous LIGO result. We discuss complementarity of the new result with other constraints on a stochastic background of gravitational waves, and we investigate implications of the new result for different models of this background.Comment: 37 pages, 16 figure

Search for gravitational wave bursts in LIGO's third science run

We report on a search for gravitational wave bursts in data from the three LIGO interferometric detectors during their third science run. The search targets subsecond bursts in the frequency range 100-1100 Hz for which no waveform model is assumed, and has a sensitivity in terms of the root-sum-square (rss) strain amplitude of hrss ~ 10^{-20} / sqrt(Hz). No gravitational wave signals were detected in the 8 days of analyzed data.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. Amaldi-6 conference proceedings to be published in Classical and Quantum Gravit

Quantum state preparation and macroscopic entanglement in gravitational-wave detectors

Long-baseline laser-interferometer gravitational-wave detectors are operating at a factor of 10 (in amplitude) above the standard quantum limit (SQL) within a broad frequency band. Such a low classical noise budget has already allowed the creation of a controlled 2.7 kg macroscopic oscillator with an effective eigenfrequency of 150 Hz and an occupation number of 200. This result, along with the prospect for further improvements, heralds the new possibility of experimentally probing macroscopic quantum mechanics (MQM) - quantum mechanical behavior of objects in the realm of everyday experience - using gravitational-wave detectors. In this paper, we provide the mathematical foundation for the first step of a MQM experiment: the preparation of a macroscopic test mass into a nearly minimum-Heisenberg-limited Gaussian quantum state, which is possible if the interferometer's classical noise beats the SQL in a broad frequency band. Our formalism, based on Wiener filtering, allows a straightforward conversion from the classical noise budget of a laser interferometer, in terms of noise spectra, into the strategy for quantum state preparation, and the quality of the prepared state. Using this formalism, we consider how Gaussian entanglement can be built among two macroscopic test masses, and the performance of the planned Advanced LIGO interferometers in quantum-state preparation

Improving the sensitivity to gravitational-wave sources by modifying the input-output optics of advanced interferometers

We study frequency dependent (FD) input-output schemes for signal-recycling interferometers, the baseline design of Advanced LIGO and the current configuration of GEO 600. Complementary to a recent proposal by Harms et al. to use FD input squeezing and ordinary homodyne detection, we explore a scheme which uses ordinary squeezed vacuum, but FD readout. Both schemes, which are sub-optimal among all possible input-output schemes, provide a global noise suppression by the power squeeze factor, while being realizable by using detuned Fabry-Perot cavities as input/output filters. At high frequencies, the two schemes are shown to be equivalent, while at low frequencies our scheme gives better performance than that of Harms et al., and is nearly fully optimal. We then study the sensitivity improvement achievable by these schemes in Advanced LIGO era (with 30-m filter cavities and current estimates of filter-mirror losses and thermal noise), for neutron star binary inspirals, and for narrowband GW sources such as low-mass X-ray binaries and known radio pulsars. Optical losses are shown to be a major obstacle for the actual implementation of these techniques in Advanced LIGO. On time scales of third-generation interferometers, like EURO/LIGO-III (~2012), with kilometer-scale filter cavities, a signal-recycling interferometer with the FD readout scheme explored in this paper can have performances comparable to existing proposals. [abridged]Comment: Figs. 9 and 12 corrected; Appendix added for narrowband data analysi

Upper limits on the strength of periodic gravitational waves from PSR J1939+2134

The first science run of the LIGO and GEO gravitational wave detectors presented the opportunity to test methods of searching for gravitational waves from known pulsars. Here we present new direct upper limits on the strength of waves from the pulsar PSR J1939+2134 using two independent analysis methods, one in the frequency domain using frequentist statistics and one in the time domain using Bayesian inference. Both methods show that the strain amplitude at Earth from this pulsar is less than a few times $10^{-22}$.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Proceedings of the 5th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, Tirrenia, Pisa, Italy, 6-11 July 200