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Pregnancy and deep brain stimulation therapy for epilepsy
Author(s) -
Bóné Beáta,
Kovács Norbert,
Balás István,
Horváth Réka A.,
Dóczi Tamás,
Janszky József
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
epileptic disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.673
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1950-6945
pISSN - 1294-9361
DOI - 10.1684/epd.2021.1304
Subject(s) - deep brain stimulation , epilepsy , vagus nerve stimulation , medicine , pregnancy , childbirth , neuromodulation , caesarean section , drug resistant epilepsy , pediatrics , stimulation , psychiatry , disease , vagus nerve , parkinson's disease , biology , genetics
Objective : Neuromodulation therapy ‐vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS)‐ is one of the therapeutic options for drug‐resistant epilepsy. With the increasing number of DBS implantations in women with epilepsy, it has become a burning issue whether DBS is safe in pregnancy. We report here two women with epilepsy who gave birth to healthy children with DBS therapy. Methods : We describe two cases, a 30‐year‐old woman and a 37‐year‐old woman. Both were implanted with DBS due to drug‐resistant epilepsy. Results : Both of our patients showed a significant improvement after DBS implantation and thereafter gave birth to a healthy child with DBS treatment. The severity and frequency of epileptic seizures did not change during pregnancy and after childbirth. Although a Caesarean section was performed in one case, pregnancies and births were essentially problem‐free. At present, the two‐ and four‐year‐old children are healthy. Significance : Considering these cases, previously described VNS cases, and DBS cases with non‐epileptic indications; we suggest that pregnancy and childbirth are safe in epilepsy patients with DBS, moreover, DBS treatment has probably no effect on foetal abnormalities or breastfeeding.