Depakote Children

About Depakote Children:

According to a US News report last week, epilepsy drug Depakote has been tied to more risk of birth defects recently. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a statement to doctors warning women that fetal exposure to some seizure, epilepsy and migraine drugs can have negative effects on intellectual ability in their children.The report states that the FDA claims that women who take certain medications during their pregnancy could have an increased risk of lower cognitive abilities than children why may be exposed to some other medicines during pregnancy. The medications in question include Depakote, Stavzor and some of their generic counterparts.The research is said to be based on epidemiological  fetal exposure and IQ scores and other cognitive tests, according to US News. Depakote and its generic counterparts are approved for use to combat migraines, epilepsy and bipolar disorder. The report states that the FDA said the drugs are often used for off label purposes as well.

More About Depakote Children:

Already tied to other birth defects like neural tube issues and pulmonary hypertension, Depakote was also the subject of a late 2010 study in Sweden which spotlighted underperforming teenagers who were born after use of the drug during pregnancy.The FDA is suggesting that any women who have epilepsy begin planning their pregnancies. this would allow doctors to come up with strategized treatment plans and prevent some of the dangerous exposure during the pregnancy.Depakote has been under fire for a while now, as the FDA issued a black box warning in 2006 which linked a potential risk of birth defects to use of the epilepsy drug. some of the common birth defects that have been tied to the drug include cleft palate, abnormal development, limb defects, and spina bifida.The drug has also been proven to cause some problems when being used as early as the first trimester. this meant that women could have trouble preventing birth defects even if using Depakote before they even knew they were pregnant.

Use Of  Depakote Children:

Depakote is one of the most widely used anticonvulsant drugs on the market, prescribed to individuals suffering from epilepsy, migraine headaches and bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, according to a report entitled “The Teratogenicity of Anticonvulsant Drugs” done by the New England Journal of Medicine and the Food and Drug Administration report “Birth Defects Related to Depakote and Similar Drugs” (Dec 2009, fda.gov) there may be a connection between Depakote use and the development of significant birth defects among infants exposed to the drug during pregnancy. Some of these alleged Depakote birth defects may cause long-term complications for an affected child, sometimes requiring lifelong medical attention and multiple reconstructive surgeries. While physically and emotionally, a birth defect diagnosis can put a huge burden on a victim and his family, the financial aspect of treating a birth defect can severely drain a family as well.With a release of the report by the New England Journal of Medicine on studies conducted seeking to examine the adverse effects of Depakote use during pregnancy (“The Teratogenicity of Anticonvulsant Drugs”, New England Journal of Medicine, April 2001) among exposed infants, Depakote lawyers across the country are now reviewing numerous Depakote birth defect claims (St. Clair County Circuit Court Case No. 10-L-651).

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