Valproic acid, commonly referred to as the drug Depakote has been linked to autism. Other studies have proven that valproate also causes birth defects. Depakote is an anticonvulsant medication used to treat disorders ranging from seizures, to mood swings, to headaches.
Recently, an ongoing study conducted by the Liverpool and Manchester Neurodevelopment Group involving 632 children has revealed that women who have taken this drug during gestation were more likely to have children who developed autism. Women who suffer from seizures but want to become mothers will have to write this drug off their list of drug options, because it isn’t safe for or during epilepsy and pregnancy. The study first appeared in the American Academy of Neurology journal on December 2, 2008.
Autism is a developmental disorder that is usually diagnosed before a child is three years. A person with the disorder may have impaired speech or problems acquiring and using language in a functional way. They may also have trouble interacting with others, which includes joint attention problems and a lack of empathy for others. Sometimes, people who have autism display repetitive movements, speech, or have repetitive, restricted play skills.
Information On The Study
632 mothers with not prior family history of autism were studied and separated into groups according to the drugs they took to control their seizures. 76 of the women took carbamazepine during pregnancy, 44 took lamotrigine, 65 took other, miscellaneous drugs for epilepsy, and 64 took valproate. 9 of the 632 children born were diagnosed with autism. 1 child wasn’t diagnosed yet but was suspected to have autism. 7 of the 10 children who had an autism diagnosis or was displaying autistic symptoms, their mothers had taken vaproate during pregnancy.
According to the study, children exposed to valproate in utero had a seven-fold chance of being diagnosed with autism compared to children not exposed to an epilepsy drug in utero. If you have any questions or have taken valproate during gestation, talk to your Neurologist about your risk factors.
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