Epilepsy Drug may Cause Birth Defects
Reported March 22, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire)
— Children exposed to the epilepsy drug sodium valproate while in the womb have lower verbal IQs than children exposed to other epilepsy drugs or no epilepsy drugs in the womb, according to a new study.
Researchers in Britain studied 249 children between the ages of 6 and 16 who were born to mothers with epilepsy. Tests were performed on both the mother and child to produce a neuropsychological profile for each child.
Results show the 41 children exposed to valproic acid during pregnancy had an average verbal IQ score of 84, while other groups in the study had higher scores. For example, those exposed only to the drug phenytoin had an average score of 99, and those not exposed to any epilepsy drug had an average score of 92.
The study also shows children exposed to sodium valproate while in the womb are more likely to have IQ scores lower than 69 and more likely to suffer from memory problems than unexposed children.
Authors conclude, “This retrospective study highlights the potential harmful effects of sodium valproate exposure in utero on neuropsychological development.”
SOURCE: Neurology, 2005;65:949-954