Normal growth during lamotrigine monotherapy in pediatric epilepsy patients - a prospective evaluation of 103 children and adolescents

Physical maturation is one of the essential developmental processes during childhood and adolescence, which can be adversely affected by a number of i nternal and external factors. An important side effect associated with the long-term use of some antiepileptic drugs is change in body weight, followe d by an increased risk for subsequent maturational problems in pediatric ep ilepsy patients. To evaluate the effect of lamotrigine on body growth in ch ildren and adolescents with epilepsy, weight, height and body mass index (B MI) values of 103 pediatric epilepsy patients (m/f ratio: 53/50) treated wi th lamotrigine monotherapy were prospectively evaluated for a period of 18. 7 +/- 11.8 (range 6-71) months. Age at therapy introduction was 6.7 +/- 2.7 (range 1.6-16.3) years and daily lamotrigine dose was 7.4 +/- 2.2 (range 3 .5-14.2) mg/kg body weight (BW). Standard deviation scores (S.D.S.) at ther apy initiation versus follow-up were height - S.D.S.: 0.07 +/- 0.42 versus 0.08 +/- 0.42 (P = n.s.); weight - S.D.S.: - 0.01 +/- 0.44 versus - 0.01 +/ - 0.43 (P = n.s.) and BMI - S.D.S.: - 0.24 +/- 0.47 versus - 0.25 +/- 0.37 (P = n.s.). Lamotrigine long-term monotherapy was associated with normal bo dy growth in pediatric and adolescent patients with epilepsy, regardless of patient age, gender or duration of therapy. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.