Risk perception and medicines information needs in pregnant women with epilepsy - A qualitative study

Purpose: To explore risk perception and medicines information needs in pregnant women with epilepsy (WWE). Method: In-depth interviews with pregnant WWE treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Results: Ten women aged 22-39 years in 20-34 weeks' gestation were interviewed. Avoiding seizures by taking AEDs in pregnancy outweighed perceived risks, but dose adjustments during and after pregnancy increased perceived risks of teratogenicity or seizures. The women had restrictive attitudes towards taking medicines for other indications than epilepsy. They appreciated their neurologist as a source for medicines information, though their needs for medicines information were reduced by long-term use of AEDs. Conclusions: Pregnant WANE were confident in using AEDs through communication with their neurologist, but dose adjustments caused concern. Medicines information to pregnant WWE should focus on empowering the women to control the disease, supporting realistic risk perceptions of AEDs and other necessary medicines. In this article, we outline some medicines information strategies to pregnant WWE. (c) 2012 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.