Risk of Epilepsy in Offspring Exposed to Preeclampsia or Eclampsia

Researchers at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, and at centers in China and US, conducted a population-based study of singletons born in Denmark (1978-2004) with information on preeclampsia and epilepsy obtained from the Danish National Hospital Register. They identified 2.9% of children exposed to preeclampsia, and 0.04% to eclampsia during prenatal life. The incidence of epilepsy at 27-year follow-up was increased following exposure to either preeclampsia or eclampsia in children born after 37 weeks of gestation. Children born preterm showed no association between preeclampsia and epilepsy. In contrast, the incidence rate ratios were 1.29 for children born at term and 5.03 for children born postterm. [1]