Neurologist wants me to start lamictal xr for complex partial sz with sec gtc szs, but i'm 22 weeks pregnant & worried for baby. pls advise on safety & more?

Risks and safety: Listen to your neurologist. If you were to have a generalized convulsion, you could lose your baby as a complication. Furthermore, medication teratogenic effects causing birth defects almost invariably have the most profound effect in the first 4-6 weeks of pregnancy. Lastly, Lamictal is quite safe, and if you have a rash, this can be handled by your doc.

Class C medications: Like Lamictal have known effects that are weighed against risk of fetal brain damage from diminished flow of blood/ oxygen during maternal seizures. Registries of outcomes of prenatal exposures to aed's show the only congenital anomaly for which Lamictal increases risk is cleft lip/palate. Oral structures form 6-10 weeks post-conception, but the brain develops throughout pregnancy & beyond.