Factor analysis of IQ of children born to mothers with epilepsy

Objective: to investigate the intelligence quotient (IQ) in children born to mother with epilepsy; to analyse possible factors affecting childhood IQ. Material and Methods. The Wechsler test (WAIS for adults and WISC for children) examined 47 pairs of "a mother with epilepsy - her child". Twelve women did not take antiepileptic drugs, 24 had monotherapy, 11 had polytherapy Treatment with valproic acid (VK) was received during pregnancy by 23 women (48.9%). Statistical processing was carried out by the method of correlation (according to Pearson) and variance (according to Fisher) analysis, by the method of "classification trees" CART. Results. The average indicators of the general, verbal and non-verbal IQ of children amounted to 118.7 points (Cl09579.5-158.0); 106.3 (Cl 67.7-144.9) and 128.0 points (Cl 93.2-162.7). The correlation between the age of the mother, taking VC and the level of IQ of the child was revealed. Univariate analysis of variance did not reveal the effect of the treatment regimen (mono-, polytherapy, without antiepileptic drugs, using VK, without VK) on the total IQ of the child (p>0.05), but a decrease in IQ was found in children who were brought up in single-parent families. Multifactor analysis showed that a decrease in the total IQ of the child is most likely to occur with the use of VK drugs in mothers with a total IQ level below 113 and at the age of the child's birth >32 years of age. Conclusion. Children of women with epilepsy are characterized with normal IQ level. When planning pregnancy, it is necessary to consider factors that affect the IQ of the offspring.