Depakote use during pregnancy could harm kids’ intellectual abilities

According to a US News report last week, epilepsy drug Depakote has been tied to more risk of birth defects recently. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a statement to doctors warning women that fetal exposure to some seizure, epilepsy and migraine drugs can have negative effects on intellectual ability in their children.

The report states that the FDA claims that women who take certain medications during their pregnancy could have an increased risk of lower cognitive abilities than children why may be exposed to some other medicines during pregnancy. The medications in question include Depakote, Stavzor and some of their generic counterparts.

The research is said to be based on epidemiological studies that compared fetal exposure and IQ scores and other cognitive tests, according to US News. Depakote and its generic counterparts are approved for use to combat migraines, epilepsy and bipolar disorder. The report states that the FDA said the drugs are often used for off label purposes as well.

Already tied to other birth defects like neural tube issues and pulmonary hypertension, Depakote was also the subject of a late 2010 study in Sweden which spotlighted underperforming teenagers who were born after use of the drug during pregnancy.

The FDA is suggesting that any women who have epilepsy begin planning their pregnancies. This would allow doctors to come up with strategic treatment plans and prevent some of the dangerous exposure during the pregnancy.

Depakote has been under fire for a while now, as the FDA issued a black box warning in 2006 which linked a potential risk of birth defects to use of the epilepsy drug. Some of the common birth defects that have been tied to the drug include cleft palate, abnormal development, limb defects, and spina bifida.

The drug has also been proven to cause some problems when being used as early as the first trimester. This meant that women could have trouble preventing birth defects even if using Depakote before they even knew they were pregnant.

References:

HelathDay News. (June 30, 2011). “Fetal Exposure to Common Epilepsy Drugs May Harm Kids’ IQ: FDA” Retrieved on July 5, 2011 from U.S. News and Report