Observational studyEpilepsy research2017
Maternal and fetal outcomes associated with vagus nerve stimulation during pregnancy.
Observational study in Epilepsy research, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Third generation antiseizure medications exposure during pregnancy and neonatal adverse birth outcomes: A systematic review.Science progressPooled it
- Stimulating discussion: neuromodulation for migraine in pregnancy.Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology · 2026Article
- Invasive Neurostimulation During Pregnancy for Treatment of Epilepsy and Tourette Syndrome: Maternal and Fetal Outcomes.Neurology. Clinical practice · 2025Article
- Pregnancy Outcomes in Epilepsy Patients Treated with Neuromodulating Devices.Current neurology and neuroscience reports · 2025Review
- Neuromodulation for Headache Management in Pregnancy.Current pain and headache reports · 2025Review
- Vagus nerve stimulation: a physical therapy with promising potential for central nervous system disorders.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Review
- Safe and effective implantation and use of vagal nerve stimulation in new-onset refractory status epilepticus in early pregnancy: a case report.Frontiers in neurology · 2023Article
- Sturge-Weber syndrome: Case report, literature review and proposed pregnancy care plan.Obstetric medicine · 2022Article
- Research progress of vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of epilepsy.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2019Review
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 8 institutions in 6 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo access the effect of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on the outcome of pregnancy.
methodsWe used the International Registry of Antiepileptic Drugs and Pregnancy (EURAP) and its network to search for women receiving adjunctive VNS during pregnancy. Data on maternal and fetal outcomes were extracted from the registry databases and outcomes were evaluated.
resultsTwenty-six pregnancies were identified in 25 women. All women were exposed to a relative high VNS stimulation level (mean duty cycle 18%, range 5%-51%). Most women had seizures during pregnancy and almost 70% were on antiepileptic drug (AED) polytherapy. The proportion of women with obstetrical interventions was 53.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 33.4%-73.4%) which was higher compared to the EURAP average (48.2%; 95% CI 47.2%-49.1%). One infant (3.9%; 95% CI 0.1%-19.6%) was born with a major malformation (unilateral congenital glaucoma), which is within the range expected among offspring of AED-treated women.
conclusionAlthough the present series of VNS-exposed pregnancies is the largest reported to date, the sample size is insufficient to draw any firm conclusions on the safety of VNS in pregnancy but the findings suggest an increased rate of obstetrical interventions, and no clear signal of VNS-related teratogenicity.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.