Anti-Epileptic Drug Valproate in Pregnancy Increases Autism Risk in Kids

Taking a drug used to treat epilepsy during pregnancy can increase the risks of giving birth to children with autism or any other neurodevelopmental disorders, researchers say.

According to a study published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, pregnant women who use the anti-epileptic drug Valproate are at a higher risk of having autistic children than others.

Epilepsy is a brain disorder and a person suffering from it is at a high risk of experiencing frequent seizures.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which starts normally by age three, is a developmental disorder that leads to significant social, communication and behavioral changes. Nearly one in every 88 children in the United States is affected with this disorder.

Till date, no medical or blood test is available for an early diagnosis of this condition that stays through a person's life. Autism starts normally by the age of three and is diagnosed by the age of five. The behavior and development of the child are some factors used by health practitioners to determine the disorder.

To analyze the hidden risks associated with taking the drug after conceiving a child, researchers looked at 528 women and their babies from north west of England.

Nearly half of the pregnant women (240) were suffering from epilepsy.  Participants reported taking different drugs like carbamazepine, valproate and lamotrigine. However, a minority (34) didn't take any medicines.

The mental and physical growth of the children were monitored and measured at different ages (one, three and six years). Parents provided details about their children's behavior, academic status, development and health.

Researchers found children of mothers with epilepsy (7.46 percent) experiencing more neurodevelopmental problems than others (1.87 percent). Apart from that, children of mothers who took the drug valproate in pregnancy were found six times more likely to be affected with these conditions than children of mothers who took other drugs to treat the condition. Taking valproate with other drugs was found increasing the risks by ten times. The risks were higher for boys than girls.

"If sodium valproate is the treatment of choice, women should be provided with as much information as possible to enable them to make an informed decision," the authors said in a news release.

"But on no account should pregnant women just stop taking the drug for fear of harming their developing child," they added.

This is not the first study to show the hidden risks associated with valproate use during pregnancy. A study published in Lancet Neurology recently found that valproate use in pregnancy affects the child's intelligence levels.