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Depakote Linked to Serious Birth Defects
(HealthScout) UPDATED 2010-06-09
According to a new study, the children of women who took the drug Depakote (valproic acid) during the first trimester of their pregnancy are much more likely to have serious births defects that affect the heart, limbs, and brain. Among the findings were that babies whose mothers took Depakote during the first trimester are 12.7 times more likely to have spina bifida, 2.5 times more likely to have an atrial septal defect (a heart defect), and about five times as likely to have a cleft palate. Depakote is primarily an epilepsy drug, but it is also sometimes prescribed to treat bipolar disorder and migraines.
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