Pregnant women who use the epilepsy drug topiramate alone or in combination with other epilepsy drugs may be at a greater risk of giving birth to children with certain physical defects, British researchers report.

Topiramate, brand name Topamax, is a common anti-seizure medication that is also taken by some migraine patients. Though many similar drugs also increase the risk of birth defects, the incidence of birth defects seen when Topamax was taken with other anti-epileptic drugs was higher than expected

Children born prematurely are more likely to have medical and social disabilities in adulthood, new research says. The factors can hinder the preemies from getting a well-paid job and starting a family, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Over the last four decades, the advancement in medical science has led to better survival in premature babies but studies suggest that it may come at the cost of disabilities and hurdles in adult life

Members of the Food and Drug Administration's panel of outside experts on Thursday did not recommend adding the agency's toughest warnings to labels of epilepsy drugs, saying studies didn't show a high enough risk for suicidal behavior.

The FDA panel voted 14 to 4 with three abstentions against adding the tougher warning, saying that a strong warning could scare epilepsy patients from being treated with effective drugs. However, the panel voted in favor of sending a medication guide to doctors detailing the risks of suicide with the drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will seek to include its most serious warning, black box warning on 11 anti-seizure drugs cautioning about the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

The announcement comes days ahead of an FDA advisory panel meeting to discuss concerns about the drugs. According to documents posted on the agency's Web site Monday, a committee of outside medical experts will discuss suicidal behavior associated with epilepsy drugs at an FDA-sponsored meeting on Thursday

The Food and Drug Administration is very close to finalizing new suicide warnings for 11 anti-seizure medications after research showed they increased patients' risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior.

In addition to treating epilepsy, the anti-seizure medications are also used for a variety of other illnesses, including migraines, certain nerve-pain disorders, and psychiatric diseases such as bipolar disorder that themselves carry a risk of suicide