Tag Archives: anticonvulsant
Anticonvulsant Medication Depakote Associated With Serious Birth Defects
According to the San Francisco Gate, anticonvulsant medication such as Depakote are being increasingly linked to birth defects. Recent studies have found that victims of birth defects may have been exposed to anticonvulsants in the uterus. Mothers may have been prescribed Depakote which has the risk of potentially causing life-long conditions such as spina bifida, heart malformations or oral cleft birth defects. Depakote is a widely used anticonvulsant drug on the market, prescribed to women suffering from epilepsy and migraine headaches. A report entitled The Teratogenicity of Anticonvulsant Drugs done by the New England Journal of Medicine suggests a connection between Depakote use and the development of birth defects among infants exposed to the drug during pregnancy. The Food and Drug Administration supports these findings and published its own report Birth Defects Related to Depakote and Similar Drugs. The report is a compilation of studies conducted on adverse effects of…
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Posted in Birth Defects Tagged anticonvulsant, birth defect, cleft birth defect, depakote, headache, migraine, Pregnancy Comments Off on Anticonvulsant Medication Depakote Associated With Serious Birth Defects
Study Examines Effects of Epilepsy Medications on Pregnant Women
According to MSNBC, women with epilepsy face a difficult decision when they decide to have children, as they either must their medicine to prevent a seizure or they risk hurting the fetus. A new study from researches at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that children of mothers receiving polytherapy – a combination of epilepsy drugs – had 3 times greater odds of not finishing school. The study examined 1,235 children born to mothers with epilepsy between 1973 and 1986. Children of mothers who were only taking a single medication did not seem to be as effected and were able to complete school just like their peers, although they were less likely to pass classes with excellence. Doctors not involved with the study claim it is important for mothers to know that they are able to have normal kids. Childbearing is an important consideration for women with epilepsy, as drugs…
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Posted in Pregnancy, Uncategorized Tagged anticonvulsant, drugs, epilepsy, fetus, medication, Pregnancy, seizure, study Comments Off on Study Examines Effects of Epilepsy Medications on Pregnant Women
