Depakote Caused Fetal Valproate Syndrome, Lawsuit Says
By Andrea Gressman
One woman’s story shows the devastating affect Depakote can have on a family if a child is born with birth defects caused by the drug. She begins her story by explaining that she is a mother of three children and also has epilepsy. She says she took Tegretol to manage her epilepsy during her first two pregnancies and then her physician prescribed her Depakote during her third. Her doctor carefully monitored her during this pregnancy.
Her medical team explained to her that taking Depakote while pregnant could cause her baby to develop spina bifida. However, this was considered to be a very rare side effect and they explained that they would be able to detect this birth defect or any other abnormality in an ultrasound. However, this did not turn out to be the case.
The woman’s son was born on December 31, 2009 and he was named Holden. They were excited for his birth but at just one day old he stopped breathing. Although he only stopped breathing for a short time they admitted him into the NICU where they kept him for a week. It was then that they diagnosed him with fetal valproate syndrome. This was due to the valproic acid contained in the Depakote. Holden was exposed to the valproic acid in utero as his mother took Depakote to manage her epilepsy.
Fetal valproate syndrome is not widely heard of and it even can go undetected in those who have it for several years. Some of the signs that indicated Holden had it and helped the NICU diagnose him so quickly were the following:
- Epicanthic eye folds
- Fully contracted hands that would not open
- Short broad nose
- Thin upper lip and full bottom lip
- No philtrum – the vertical groove in the middle of the upper lip
In the first 20 months of her son’s life they discovered that Holden had some developmental delays. These have affected him both physically, socially, as well as cognitively. There is a possibility that Holden will suffer from autism and/or mental retardation as well as other learning disabilities.
This mother wants to advocate for all those out there who have epilepsy and are either pregnant or may become pregnant. She wants other mothers to know how dangerous Depakote can be to the children of mothers who take Depakote during their pregnancies.
If you had a child that has been diagnosed with fetal valproate syndrome or another serious birth defect and you believe it was caused by taking Depakote during the pregnancy of the child, it is important for you to contact a Depakote lawsuit attorney right away. Visit the Depakote Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page right away. A birth defect lawyer will provide you with a free legal review.
Updated March 15th, 2013
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