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Striking Rate of Birth Defects Linked to Depakote Analogue
By John Curran
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Depakote birth defects have been the subject of numerous lawsuits, but it has been difficult to assess just how likely it is for women who took the drug while pregnant to have children with mental problems. An analysis of children in the United Kingdom of a very similar drug indicates that the overall number could be staggering.
Depakote is a combination of sodium valproate and valproic acid. In the United Kingdom, many women were given sodium valproate to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder beginning in 1973. BBC television is running specials on the issue, and a review indicates that 40 percent of those children developed problems similar to Depakote birth defects, or about 20,000 out of nearly 50,000.
Considering that the drug was not advertised as having these risks, the number of children born with these problems could skyrocket. Since Depakote contains sodium valproate, the percentage of children who were born with autism side effects could be just as high, although it is unclear what the interaction with valproic acid would entail. Still, the number of Depakote lawsuits filed against Abbott Pharmaceuticals by woman who didn’t know the risks and took the drug during pregnancy could range into the thousands.
In spite of data that has been available to scientists for years, many families did not know of Depakote autism side effects until a spate of studies were recently released. Some Depakote lawsuit attorneys are warning that with the data from the United Kingdom as well as the large number of female patients who took the drugs in the United States, the number of claims could make this one of the largest product liability cases in history.
Of course, there is no legal remedy that will completely offset autism side effects or decreased intelligence caused by Depakote. However, a Depakote birth defect settlement could provide financial options to pay for therapies to improve the life of children with problems caused by valproic acid and Depakote side effects, although many are now adults.
Still, Depakote lawsuit attorneys are offering free consultations to victims who are looking to pursue a jury award or settlement from Abbott Pharmaceuticals. One is available at the Depakote Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Getting started while national claims are still in the preliminary stages ensures that women or their children will not face any additional delays. Learn more by getting a no-cost legal review of your potential case and claim eligibility today.
Updated March 4th, 2013
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All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.
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