Adverse Fetal and Neonatal Outcomes following in-utero exposure to
Oxcarbazepine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Abstract
Aim: This systematic review aims to assess the safety profile of
oxcarbazepine during pregnancy. Methods: Observational studies that
included women who took oxcarbazepine anytime during pregnancy were
included in our systematic review. The review did not include
non-English articles, reviews, meta-analyses, case reports, and animal
studies. Different online sources such as MEDLINE, Cochrane library,
Virtual Health library etc. were searched for published and unpublished
literature. Assessment of risk of bias of observational studies was done
using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The meta-analyses were performed using
a random-effect model. GRADE was used for the evaluation of the quality
of evidence for the primary outcomes. Results: We included 19 cohort
studies with a total number of 5,071,137 patients, of which 2,450 were
exposed to oxcarbazepine either as monotherapy or polytherapy. The
summary odds ratio (OR) was 1.69 (95% CI, 0.95-2.98) for congenital
malformations following in-utero exposure to oxcarbazepine as compared
to the control group of unexposed patients [seven studies (n=625)],
and was 1.19 (95% CI, 0.67-2.12) when compared to those following
lamotrigine (LTG) exposure during pregnancy [3 studies (n=591)]. In
total, three studies (n=770) reported the association between in-utero
oxcarbazepine exposure and fetal/perinatal deaths. The meta-analysis
yielded a summary OR of 3.11 (95% CI, 0.57-16.97). Significance: Our
systematic review will help healthcare providers and guideline
developers regarding the treatment of epilepsy and other neurological
disorders during pregnancy. More cohort studies with a higher sample
size concerning oxcarbazepine use in pregnant patients are required to
truly assess the in-utero safety profile of the drug.