Somewhat OT: Epilepsy Drug May Increase Risk of Autism in Children

[Guest guest]

Hello All,

I work for a company that supplies raw materials to health food

manufacturers. As such, we often get news releases about research and

products that are not as readily accessible to the mainstream media.

One such report just popped up and, although it comes from allopathic

circles, I still thought it might interest some of you:

Link:

http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=589353 & categoryid=9 & newsletter=1

Epilepsy Drug May Increase Risk of Autism in Children

ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 1, 2008- A new study shows that women who take

the epilepsy drug valproate while pregnant may significantly increase

their child's risk of developing autism. The preliminary research is

published in the December 2, 2008, print issue of Neurology®, the

medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The ongoing study involves 632 children, nearly half of whom were

exposed to epilepsy drugs during gestation. Of the children whose

mothers took epilepsy drugs while pregnant, 64 were exposed to

valproate, 44 to lamotrigine, 76 to carbamazepine and 65 to other

epilepsy drugs. Of the 632 children in the study, nine have been

diagnosed with autism and one has shown symptoms of the disorder. The

children were tested at one, three and six years old. Two-thirds of

the children were six years old by the end of the study.

The study found seven of the children with autism had mothers who took

an epilepsy drug while pregnant, four of those children were exposed

to valproate while a fifth child's mother took a combination of

valproate and lamotrigine. The children whose mothers were given

valproate during pregnancy were seven times more likely to develop

autism compared to children whose mothers did not take an epilepsy

drug while pregnant. This risk was not seen with the other epilepsy

drugs. None of the children in the study had any known family history

of autism.

" 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, " says study

author Gus Baker, PhD, FBPsS, of the University of Liverpool in the

United Kingdom. " 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. "

Other studies have shown that valproate is more likely to cause birth

defects than other epilepsy drugs.

Symptoms of autism include difficulty in language development, a lack

of attention, social problems and the inability to understand other

people's feelings.

###

The study was conducted by the Liverpool and Manchester

Neurodevelopment Group, a multidisciplinary group consisting of

psychologists, geneticists, neurologists, midwives and support staff.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000

neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving

patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor

with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing

disorders of the brain and nervous system such as multiple sclerosis,

restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, narcolepsy, and stroke.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit

http://www.aan.com/go/pressroom.

Contact: Seroka

rseroka@...

651-695-2738

American Academy of Neurology

Best wishes to All,

Healthseeker

[Guest guest]

Hello All,

I work for a company that supplies raw materials to health food

manufacturers. As such, we often get news releases about research and

products that are not as readily accessible to the mainstream media.

One such report just popped up and, although it comes from allopathic

circles, I still thought it might interest some of you:

Link:

http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=589353 & categoryid=9 & newsletter=1

Epilepsy Drug May Increase Risk of Autism in Children

ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 1, 2008- A new study shows that women who take

the epilepsy drug valproate while pregnant may significantly increase

their child's risk of developing autism. The preliminary research is

published in the December 2, 2008, print issue of Neurology®, the

medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The ongoing study involves 632 children, nearly half of whom were

exposed to epilepsy drugs during gestation. Of the children whose

mothers took epilepsy drugs while pregnant, 64 were exposed to

valproate, 44 to lamotrigine, 76 to carbamazepine and 65 to other

epilepsy drugs. Of the 632 children in the study, nine have been

diagnosed with autism and one has shown symptoms of the disorder. The

children were tested at one, three and six years old. Two-thirds of

the children were six years old by the end of the study.

The study found seven of the children with autism had mothers who took

an epilepsy drug while pregnant, four of those children were exposed

to valproate while a fifth child's mother took a combination of

valproate and lamotrigine. The children whose mothers were given

valproate during pregnancy were seven times more likely to develop

autism compared to children whose mothers did not take an epilepsy

drug while pregnant. This risk was not seen with the other epilepsy

drugs. None of the children in the study had any known family history

of autism.

" 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, " says study

author Gus Baker, PhD, FBPsS, of the University of Liverpool in the

United Kingdom. " 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. "

Other studies have shown that valproate is more likely to cause birth

defects than other epilepsy drugs.

Symptoms of autism include difficulty in language development, a lack

of attention, social problems and the inability to understand other

people's feelings.

###

The study was conducted by the Liverpool and Manchester

Neurodevelopment Group, a multidisciplinary group consisting of

psychologists, geneticists, neurologists, midwives and support staff.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000

neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving

patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor

with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing

disorders of the brain and nervous system such as multiple sclerosis,

restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, narcolepsy, and stroke.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit

http://www.aan.com/go/pressroom.

Contact: Seroka

rseroka@...

651-695-2738

American Academy of Neurology

Best wishes to All,

Healthseeker

[Guest guest]

Hello All,

I work for a company that supplies raw materials to health food

manufacturers. As such, we often get news releases about research and

products that are not as readily accessible to the mainstream media.

One such report just popped up and, although it comes from allopathic

circles, I still thought it might interest some of you:

Link:

http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=589353 & categoryid=9 & newsletter=1

Epilepsy Drug May Increase Risk of Autism in Children

ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 1, 2008- A new study shows that women who take

the epilepsy drug valproate while pregnant may significantly increase

their child's risk of developing autism. The preliminary research is

published in the December 2, 2008, print issue of Neurology®, the

medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The ongoing study involves 632 children, nearly half of whom were

exposed to epilepsy drugs during gestation. Of the children whose

mothers took epilepsy drugs while pregnant, 64 were exposed to

valproate, 44 to lamotrigine, 76 to carbamazepine and 65 to other

epilepsy drugs. Of the 632 children in the study, nine have been

diagnosed with autism and one has shown symptoms of the disorder. The

children were tested at one, three and six years old. Two-thirds of

the children were six years old by the end of the study.

The study found seven of the children with autism had mothers who took

an epilepsy drug while pregnant, four of those children were exposed

to valproate while a fifth child's mother took a combination of

valproate and lamotrigine. The children whose mothers were given

valproate during pregnancy were seven times more likely to develop

autism compared to children whose mothers did not take an epilepsy

drug while pregnant. This risk was not seen with the other epilepsy

drugs. None of the children in the study had any known family history

of autism.

" 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, " says study

author Gus Baker, PhD, FBPsS, of the University of Liverpool in the

United Kingdom. " 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. "

Other studies have shown that valproate is more likely to cause birth

defects than other epilepsy drugs.

Symptoms of autism include difficulty in language development, a lack

of attention, social problems and the inability to understand other

people's feelings.

###

The study was conducted by the Liverpool and Manchester

Neurodevelopment Group, a multidisciplinary group consisting of

psychologists, geneticists, neurologists, midwives and support staff.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000

neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving

patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor

with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing

disorders of the brain and nervous system such as multiple sclerosis,

restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, narcolepsy, and stroke.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit

http://www.aan.com/go/pressroom.

Contact: Seroka

rseroka@...

651-695-2738

American Academy of Neurology

Best wishes to All,

Healthseeker

[Guest guest]

Hello All,

I work for a company that supplies raw materials to health food

manufacturers. As such, we often get news releases about research and

products that are not as readily accessible to the mainstream media.

One such report just popped up and, although it comes from allopathic

circles, I still thought it might interest some of you:

Link:

http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=589353 & categoryid=9 & newsletter=1

Epilepsy Drug May Increase Risk of Autism in Children

ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 1, 2008- A new study shows that women who take

the epilepsy drug valproate while pregnant may significantly increase

their child's risk of developing autism. The preliminary research is

published in the December 2, 2008, print issue of Neurology®, the

medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The ongoing study involves 632 children, nearly half of whom were

exposed to epilepsy drugs during gestation. Of the children whose

mothers took epilepsy drugs while pregnant, 64 were exposed to

valproate, 44 to lamotrigine, 76 to carbamazepine and 65 to other

epilepsy drugs. Of the 632 children in the study, nine have been

diagnosed with autism and one has shown symptoms of the disorder. The

children were tested at one, three and six years old. Two-thirds of

the children were six years old by the end of the study.

The study found seven of the children with autism had mothers who took

an epilepsy drug while pregnant, four of those children were exposed

to valproate while a fifth child's mother took a combination of

valproate and lamotrigine. The children whose mothers were given

valproate during pregnancy were seven times more likely to develop

autism compared to children whose mothers did not take an epilepsy

drug while pregnant. This risk was not seen with the other epilepsy

drugs. None of the children in the study had any known family history

of autism.

" 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, " says study

author Gus Baker, PhD, FBPsS, of the University of Liverpool in the

United Kingdom. " 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. "

Other studies have shown that valproate is more likely to cause birth

defects than other epilepsy drugs.

Symptoms of autism include difficulty in language development, a lack

of attention, social problems and the inability to understand other

people's feelings.

###

The study was conducted by the Liverpool and Manchester

Neurodevelopment Group, a multidisciplinary group consisting of

psychologists, geneticists, neurologists, midwives and support staff.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000

neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving

patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor

with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing

disorders of the brain and nervous system such as multiple sclerosis,

restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, narcolepsy, and stroke.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit

http://www.aan.com/go/pressroom.

Contact: Seroka

rseroka@...

651-695-2738

American Academy of Neurology

Best wishes to All,

Healthseeker