Epilepsy drug 'can increase the risk of children developing autism'

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utism.html

Epilepsy drug 'can increase the risk of children developing autism'

A class of epilepsy drug increases seven-fold the risk of women having

children with autism, a new study suggests.

By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent

Last Updated: 11:19PM GMT 01 Dec 2008

Scientists found that women who took valproate while pregnant were

substantially " more likely to go on to have children who suffered from the

condition.

The drug is designed to prevent the seizures which affect epilepsy sufferers

of which there are more than 400,000 in Britain.

But the findings, described by researchers as " preliminary " , suggest that it

could also affect some childrens development.

Symptoms of autism can range from severe problems with language, attention

and social interaction to a mild need for routine.

Scientists looked at more than 600 children, around half of whose mothers

had taken some form of epilepsy drug while pregnant.

In total 64 of the children had been exposed to valproate while in the womb.

Of these, five went on to develop autism, the findings show, which were

published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of

Neurology.

The researchers say that the number of children who developed the condition

was seven times that which would be expected among the general population.

Professor Gus Baker, of the University of Liverpool's clinical

neuropsychology department, who led the study, said that the early findings

suggested that there was a " significantly " increased risk of developing

autism associated with the drug.

He said: " The potential risk for autism in this study was substantial for

children whose mothers took valproate while pregnant, but more research

needs to be done since these are early findings.

" However women who take valproate while pregnant should be informed of the

possible risks of autism and are encouraged to discuss them with their

doctor.

" Those who are taking valproate should not stop their treatment without

speaking to their doctor first. "

The study was conducted by the Liverpool and Manchester neurodevelopment

group.

No increased risk of autism was associated with other forms of epilepsy

medication, according to the study.

Scientists are still unsure about the causes of autism, which affects up to

one in 100 children in Britain, but many believe that the condition is

caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Of the 632 children in the study, nine were diagnosed with autism and another

child showed symptoms of the disorder.