Moms Who Take Epilepsy Drug Valproate (Depakote) Have Children With Lower IQs, New Study Says

Toddlers born to mothers who took valproate – also called Depakote — to treat epilepsy during pregnancy had lower IQs than children of women who took other anti-seizure drugs, a new study has found.

Mothers who took valproate during pregnancy had children who scored six to nine points lower when measured at age three, said researchers from the North American Antiepileptic Disease Pregnancy Registry in Boston.

Valproate, which in the United States is sold as Depakote, has been linked to spina bifida and other severe birth defects. Women of childbearing age have for years been warned not to take it for fear of having disabled children. The new study is the largest such research to show a link between women taking the drug and children with lower IQs.

Study Focuses on Children of Epileptic Mothers

Each year in the U.S., about 25,000 children are born to women who have epilepsy. The brain disorder causes people to have recurring seizures which may result in falls.

Researchers followed about 260 children born to pregnant women in the United States and United Kingdom between 1999 and 2004. They found that by age three, toddlers whose mothers had taken valproate had an average IQ of 92 compared to scores of between 98 and 101 for children of women who had taken other drugs, including lamotrigine, phenytoin, and carbamazepine.

A child of average intelligence scores 100 on an IQ test, researchers said.

The study also concluded that higher doses of valproate in mothers resulted in lower IQs of children, while the dosage did not affect loss of IQ for other anti-seizure drugs.

Anti-Seizure Drugs Key for Expectant Mothers

Pregnant women with epilepsy often take anti-seizure medications, such as Depakote, because falls during pregnancy can damage the unborn child or the mother. Depakote also is given for mood disorders and migraine headaches.

Women who are taking the drug and want to become pregnant are advised to consult with their physician to determine the best medical course of action. Stopping the drug suddenly to become pregnant can result in injury to the mother and the fetus while switching drugs after the woman realizes she is pregnant is not likely to lower the risk of birth defects linked to Depakote, the researchers said.

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