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Valproate, one of the most commonly prescribed antiepileptic medications, has been associated in the past with birth defects and developmental problems. However, two newer drugs -- levetiracetam and topirimate -- have had little or no investigations into their developmental impact until this latest research, published published in the August 31, 2016, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Lead researcher and author of the paper Dr Rebecca Bromley, of The University of Manchester's School of Biological Sciences, said expectant mothers had to know the possible impacts their drug regimes may have on unborn children. "Over the past few years, doctors have been moving away from prescribing valproate to pregnant women, shifting them to the two newer antiepileptic drugs. But, until now, there hasn't been any definitive research to understand what implications for IQ and development these two drugs may have. "Working with fund...

Low to moderate intake of alcohol, defined as one to seven servings a week, seemed to have no effect on women's fertility, nor did the type of alcohol beverage consumed. But the authors still recommend for couples to abstain from alcohol during their fertile window until a pregnancy is ruled out, because the fetus may be particularly vulnerable to alcohol during the first few weeks after conception. In developed countries, up to 24% of couples experience infertility, defined as time to pregnancy of 12 months or more. Official guidelines in several countries, including the UK, USA and Denmark, recommend that women trying to become pregnant should abstain from alcohol consumption. But the extent to which alcohol intake affects female fertility is unclear. So a group of Danish researchers carried out a large prospective cohort study to examine the association between pre-conception alcohol consumption and time to pregnancy. In total, 6,120 female Danish residents, aged 21-...