24 percent of the children of mothers who took valproate (Depakote) during pregnancy showed an IQ in the mental retardation range. That alarming finding was presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 - May 5, 2007.The class of drugs known as anticonvulsants or, anti-epileptics, are prescribed mostly for unapproved, off-label uses including: bipolar disorder and migraine headaches, according to an analysis by the Epilepsy Foundation. Such reckless prescribing of drugs for unapproved uses are disrupting normal brain function with devastating results.
Doctors' indiscriminate prescribing practices are condemning millions of children to drug-produced mental disabilities. Do we really want to continue to give doctors the unrestricted license to prescribe toxic substances that cause permanent brain damage without any constraints?
"Depakote looks worse than the other drugs in all of these recent studies," said Dr. Kimford J. Meador, a professor of neurology at the University of Florida and the lead author of the new study. "In all, it is compelling evidence that this drug should not be used as a first-line choice for treatment in pregnant women." How long will the FDA drag its feet before issuing label warnings to indicate the use of Valproic acid drugs are contraindicated for pregnant women?
Furthermore, how do we know that prescribing these same drugs for children--as is currently the practice among mental health professionals--that the drugs won't cause the children mental retardation--or worse? Rebecca Riley was a four year old Boston drug casualty: she was prescribed a psychotropic drug cocktail by a psychiatrist. Among the drugs prescribed for her since the tender age of 28 months, was Depakote.
We have documented evidence showing that Rebeca Riley's is not the only child to be heavily medicated: New Jersy's Medicaid roster docments more than 39,000 children who are prescribed psychotropic drugs. Of these, 647 prescriptions were for children age 4 or less. Psychotropic drug prescriptions for children age 2, included 13 antipsychotics, 10 benzodiazepines, and 2 antidepressants
Michigan's Medicaid roster shows that 933 patients under age 5 were prescribed anticonvulsants /Mood Stabilizers; 972 patients under age 5 were prescribed Antidyskinetics--for what condition? One child under Michigan's Medicaid program is currently prescribed 17 psychotropic drugs.
Psychiatrists who defend the practice of medicating children with psychotropic drugs, such as: Dr. Janet Wozniak, director fo the Pediatric Bipolar program at Harvard affiliate, Mass General, and Dr. Nancy Rappaport of the Cambridge Health Alliance, claim without evidence that their prescriptions benefit children: "the overall number of prescriptions is probably small relative to the number of children who need help."
When will sanity and the "First, do no harm" principle in medicine be restored? When will we have a public health policy that bans interaction between pharmaceutical industry and children's care givers? Children's health care and educational providers should not come under drug industry influence.
[Link] American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Wed 11-Apr-2007, Embargo expired: Thu 03-May-2007
Lower IQ Found in Children of Women Who Took Epilepsy Drug
Children of women who took the epilepsy drug valproate during pregnancy appear to be at a greater risk for lower IQ, according to research presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 - May 5, 2007.
Newswise - Children of women who took the epilepsy drug valproate during pregnancy appear to be at a greater risk for lower IQ, according to research presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 - May 5, 2007.
The study looked at IQ results for 187 two-year-old children of mothers who took the epilepsy drugs carbamazepine, lamotrigine, phenytoin, or valproate during pregnancy.
According to the study, 24 percent of the children of mothers who took valproate showed an IQ in the mental retardation range, compared to 12 percent for carbamazepine, nine percent for lamotrigine, and 12 percent for phenytoin. On an IQ test, children whose mothers took carbamazepine scored an average of 93 points, compared to 93 for those who took phenytoin, 96 for lamotrigine, and 84 for valproate. The scores were adjusted to account for the mother's IQ and the drug dosage.
The study also found that children with higher levels of valproate in their blood had lower IQ scores.
"Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, examine IQ at older ages, and to determine the risks for other epilepsy drugs," said study author Kimford Meador, MD, of the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. "However, our findings are consistent with other studies, which have shown valproate poses an increased risk for fetal death and birth defects, and have suggested the drug may harm cognitive development."
The study also found children's IQ was related to their mother's IQ for every epilepsy drug except valproate.
Meador is recommending doctors talk with their patients about the risks associated with valproate.
"Although valproate remains an important treatment option in women who aren't able to use other epilepsy drugs, valproate should not be used as the drug of first choice for women of child bearing potential, and when used, its dosage should be limited if possible," said Meador.
The study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of over 20,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit [Link]
C 2007 Newswise. All Rights Reserved. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Link] THE NEW YORK TIMES May 4, 2007 Epilepsy Drug Can Increase Risk for Newborns, Study Says By BENEDICT CAREY
Doctors reported yesterday that expectant mothers with epilepsy who took a commonly prescribed drug to control seizures were at increased risk of having a child with mental deficits.
Toddlers who had been exposed in the womb to the drug Depakote, from Abbott Laboratories, scored seven to eight points lower on I.Q. tests at age 2 than those whose mothers had been taking other epilepsy drugs while pregnant, the study found. They were twice as likely to score in the range associated with mental retardation , according to the authors, who presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston.
Other researchers said the findings should be considered preliminary because I.Q. measures were less reliable in 2-year-olds than in older children; the study will continue, tracking children through age 6.
The report is consistent with several recent studies finding that Depakote is more likely than other so-called anticonvulsant drugs to increase the risk of mental deficits and other birth defects, like neural tube problems. An estimated 24 million American women have taken these drugs - which include Tegretol from Novartis, Lamictal from GlaxoSmithKline and Dilantin from Parke Davis - for an array of problems, including epilepsy, bipolar disorder and migraine headaches, according to an analysis by the Epilepsy Foundation.
"Depakote looks worse than the other drugs in all of these recent studies," said Dr. Kimford J. Meador, a professor of neurology at the University of Florida and the lead author of the new study. "In all, it is compelling evidence that this drug should not be used as a first-line choice for treatment in pregnant women."
Laureen Cassidy, a spokeswoman for Abbott, said that for many women, "Depakote may be the only effective seizure control medication, and that decision should be made thoughtfully between physician and patient to fully evaluate the risk vs. benefit of treatment."
The drug's label now states that Depakote "has been associated with birth defects in children of women who have taken it while pregnant."
Untreated seizures can endanger the life of a fetus and the expectant mother. And some 90 percent of women with epilepsy give birth to healthy, developmentally normal children even though many are taking medication, experts say.
The researchers followed 185 children through age 2, using standard I.Q. measures. The mothers in the study, while pregnant, took either Depakote, Lamictal, Tegretol or Dilantin. After controlling for the mothers' I.Q. scores, the researchers found that 2-year-olds exposed to Depakote scored significantly lower on standard intelligence measures than the others.
"It's fair to say that there has been concern about these drugs, and particularly Depakote, for the past two or three years, but we'll know the complete story about its effect on cognitive development when we look at older children," said Dr. Lewis Holmes, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
Lower IQ Found in Children of Women Who Took Epilepsy Drug
Children of women who took the epilepsy drug valproate during pregnancy appear to be at a greater risk for lower IQ, according to research presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 - May 5, 2007.
Newswise - Children of women who took the epilepsy drug valproate during pregnancy appear to be at a greater risk for lower IQ, according to research presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 - May 5, 2007.
The study looked at IQ results for 187 two-year-old children of mothers who took the epilepsy drugs carbamazepine, lamotrigine, phenytoin, or valproate during pregnancy.
According to the study, 24 percent of the children of mothers who took valproate showed an IQ in the mental retardation range, compared to 12 percent for carbamazepine, nine percent for lamotrigine, and 12 percent for phenytoin. On an IQ test, children whose mothers took carbamazepine scored an average of 93 points, compared to 93 for those who took phenytoin, 96 for lamotrigine, and 84 for valproate. The scores were adjusted to account for the mother's IQ and the drug dosage.
The study also found that children with higher levels of valproate in their blood had lower IQ scores.
"Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, examine IQ at older ages, and to determine the risks for other epilepsy drugs," said study author Kimford Meador, MD, of the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. "However, our findings are consistent with other studies, which have shown valproate poses an increased risk for fetal death and birth defects, and have suggested the drug may harm cognitive development."
The study also found children's IQ was related to their mother's IQ for every epilepsy drug except valproate.
Meador is recommending doctors talk with their patients about the risks associated with valproate.
"Although valproate remains an important treatment option in women who aren't able to use other epilepsy drugs, valproate should not be used as the drug of first choice for women of child bearing potential, and when used, its dosage should be limited if possible," said Meador.
The study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of over 20,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit [Link]
C 2007 Newswise. All Rights Reserved. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Link] THE NEW YORK TIMES May 4, 2007 Epilepsy Drug Can Increase Risk for Newborns, Study Says By BENEDICT CAREY
Doctors reported yesterday that expectant mothers with epilepsy who took a commonly prescribed drug to control seizures were at increased risk of having a child with mental deficits.
Toddlers who had been exposed in the womb to the drug Depakote, from Abbott Laboratories, scored seven to eight points lower on I.Q. tests at age 2 than those whose mothers had been taking other epilepsy drugs while pregnant, the study found. They were twice as likely to score in the range associated with mental retardation , according to the authors, who presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston.
Other researchers said the findings should be considered preliminary because I.Q. measures were less reliable in 2-year-olds than in older children; the study will continue, tracking children through age 6.
The report is consistent with several recent studies finding that Depakote is more likely than other so-called anticonvulsant drugs to increase the risk of mental deficits and other birth defects, like neural tube problems. An estimated 24 million American women have taken these drugs - which include Tegretol from Novartis, Lamictal from GlaxoSmithKline and Dilantin from Parke Davis - for an array of problems, including epilepsy, bipolar disorder and migraine headaches, according to an analysis by the Epilepsy Foundation.
"Depakote looks worse than the other drugs in all of these recent studies," said Dr. Kimford J. Meador, a professor of neurology at the University of Florida and the lead author of the new study. "In all, it is compelling evidence that this drug should not be used as a first-line choice for treatment in pregnant women."
Laureen Cassidy, a spokeswoman for Abbott, said that for many women, "Depakote may be the only effective seizure control medication, and that decision should be made thoughtfully between physician and patient to fully evaluate the risk vs. benefit of treatment."
The drug's label now states that Depakote "has been associated with birth defects in children of women who have taken it while pregnant."
Untreated seizures can endanger the life of a fetus and the expectant mother. And some 90 percent of women with epilepsy give birth to healthy, developmentally normal children even though many are taking medication, experts say.
The researchers followed 185 children through age 2, using standard I.Q. measures. The mothers in the study, while pregnant, took either Depakote, Lamictal, Tegretol or Dilantin. After controlling for the mothers' I.Q. scores, the researchers found that 2-year-olds exposed to Depakote scored significantly lower on standard intelligence measures than the others.
"It's fair to say that there has been concern about these drugs, and particularly Depakote, for the past two or three years, but we'll know the complete story about its effect on cognitive development when we look at older children," said Dr. Lewis Holmes, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.