Guidelines recently made public by the American Academy of Neurology and American Epilepsy Society reveal that epilepsy does not cause any complications in pregnancy or childbirth.

"Overall, what we found should be very reassuring to every woman with epilepsy planning to become pregnant," lead guideline author Cynthia Harden, M. D., director of the epilepsy division at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, was quoted as saying. "These guidelines show that women with epilepsy are not at a substantially increased risk of having a Cesarean section, late pregnancy bleeding, or premature contractions or premature labor and delivery."

The guidelines have put forth certain precautions for pregnant women. They include:

• Avoid a certain epilepsy drug called Valproate which has been linked to fetal malformations and thinking problems in children.
• Avoid epilepsy drugs.
• Avoid Phenytoin and Phenobarbital which also have been linked to thinking problems in offspring.
• Stop smoking.

(This story was first posted on TopNews. Contributed by Carina Rose)