Introduction to Human Disease: Pathophysiology for Health Professionals 6th Edition by Agnes Loeffler,Michael Hart

Exercise 2

A woman with epilepsy would like to become pregnant but is worried about the potentially teratogenic effects of the anti-epileptic drugs she is taking. Which of the following is true regarding her medications?
A) The risk of harmful effects is greatest in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
B) Pharmaceutical drugs for epilepsy currently on the market are safe to use during pregnancy.
C) An epileptic seizure will be more harmful to the fetus than taking phenytoin.
D) The drugs are more likely to cause chromosomal abnormalities than to interfere with the development of the embryo or the fetus.
E) Pharmaceutical drugs do not cross the placenta and therefore will not harm the embryo or fetus.