This article was first published on April 18, 2023. It was last reviewed/ updated on February 17, 2024.
In another article on this website, we provided information about an important pregnancy registry for women who are on a psychiatric medication during pregnancy, for example, antidepressants, atypical antipsychotics, ADHD medications, or sedative-hypnotics. Please see the following article on this website:
Refer all pregnant patients to pregnancy registries!
All of us should encourage women who become pregnant while taking an antiepileptic drug like divalproex, lamotrigine, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, etc., to participate in specialized registries that are gathering data about such pregnancies.
These registries gather data on pregnant women who:
- Have epilepsy and are taking an antiepileptic drug (AED)
- Have epilepsy but are NOT taking an antiepileptic drug (AED)
- Of direct relevance to mental health clinicians—Taking an antiepileptic drug (AED) for a condition other than epilepsy
Mental health clinicians frequently prescribe these medications and should know about these registries.
We should encourage the pregnant woman to enroll in a registry that serves the country or region where she lives. Below are links to some of the most important ones, which serve:
- North America
- Europe, Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and elsewhere
- United Kingdom
- Australia
North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry
For the United States and Canada, patients may be referred to the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry, which is run by Harvard Medical School.
Eurap International Registry
The Eurap International Registry gathers data on pregnant women who are on an antiepileptic and are based in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and elsewhere. 
UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register
The UK Epilepsy & Pregnancy Register gathers data on pregnant women who are on an antiepileptic and are based in the United Kingdom.
Australian Pregnancy Register for Women on Antiepileptic Medications
The Australian Pregnancy Register for Women on Antiepileptic Medications collects data on women who are currently pregnant or who have given birth recently.
Related Pages
Pregnancy—General articles
General approach to treating women during pregnancy and lactation
Refer all pregnant patients to pregnancy registries!
Encourage pregnant women on an antiepileptic drug to enroll in these registries
Pregnancy and psychotropic medications: Online resources
Does this medication increase the risk of bad outcomes in pregnancy?
Pregnancy—Specific treatments
Potential risks of second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics in pregnancy
What are the possible risks of using lurasidone (Latuda®) during pregnancy?
Tips on using lithium during pregnancy
Is the use of lamotrigine during pregnancy safe?
Does methylphenidate during pregnancy increase the risk of congenital malformations?
Bright light therapy for depressive disorders during pregnancy?
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for depressive disorders during pregnancy?
How to manage agitation in a pregnant woman
Serious dangers to avoid if it is essential to physically restrain a pregnant woman
References
Holmes LB, Wyszynski DF. North American antiepileptic drug pregnancy registry. Epilepsia. 2004 Nov;45(11):1465. doi: 10.1111/j.0013-9580.2004.451102.x. PMID: 15509251.
Tomson T, Battino D, Bonizzoni E, Craig J, Lindhout D, Perucca E, Sabers A, Vajda F; Collaborative EURAP Study Group. EURAP: an international registry of antiepileptic drugs and pregnancy. Epilepsia. 2004 Nov;45(11):1463-4. doi: 10.1111/j.0013-9580.2004.451101.x. PMID: 15509250.
Vajda F, Lander C, O’brien T, Hitchcock A, Graham J, Solinas C, Eadie M, Cook M. Australian pregnancy registry of women taking antiepileptic drugs. Epilepsia. 2004 Nov;45(11):1466. doi: 10.1111/j.0013-9580.2004.451103.x. PMID: 15509252.
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