Epilepsy Drug Taken When Pregnant May Increase Risk Of Autism

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201162028.htmEpilepsy Drug Taken When Pregnant May Increase Risk Of AutismScienceDaily (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 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.

Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Neurology.Send e-mail anywhere. No map, no compass. Get your Hotmail® account now.