Valproate study

A  recent study reported in this week’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine examined the neurological effects of valproate on children exposed to the medication during fetal development.  The study included 309 children from 25 epilepsy centers in the United Kingdom and United States.  Periodical assessment of the children up to age six was planned and these published results were noted after three years of evaluations.  It was found that IQ scores were significantly lower in those children who were exposed to valproate when compared to other epilepsy drugs including carbamazapine, lamotrigine, and phenytoin.  It was also found the neurological effects were dose dependent with higher doses being associated with decreased IQ scores. Consequently, after examining the results, the authors stressed the importance of utilizing other anti-seizure drugs as first line therapy especially in women of child bearing age.