Study Links In Utero Depakote Exposure to Lower IQ

Study Finds Children Exposed to Depakote in Utero Have Lower IQ

In January 2013, the Lancet Neurology published a study that found the children of mothers who took Depakote while pregnant have lower IQ scores than children who were not exposed to Depakote in utero. More than a dozen plaintiffs have filed Depakote injury lawsuits against Abbott, alleging that their children suffered serious Depakote birth defects. They claim they were not adequately warned about the risk of birth defects associated with using Depakote during pregnancy.

The Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs (NEAD) study began in 1999. It is the largest study that has ever been done on the pregnancy side effects of antiepileptic drugs. The study followed the children of women who had taken antiepileptic medications during pregnancy. The team followed up with the children each year until the child turned 6.

The NEAD study found that, by age 6, children who had been exposed to Depakote in utero had an IQ that was 7-10 points lower than children whose mothers used a different antiepileptic medication while pregnant. The children exposed to Depakote also did poorly on tests that measured their memory, executive, verbal and non-verbal functions.

Women Should Use Caution before Taking Depakote

For some women, Depakote is currently the only drug available that is effective at treating their condition. Women who are currently taking Depakote should not discontinue use of the drug if they become pregnant. They could face serious health consequences if they do so.

Women of childbearing age who suffer from seizure disorders should talk with their doctors about the safety of using other antiepileptic medications that are available on the market. They should carefully discuss their options with their doctors and try out the safer medications first. A woman who suffers a seizure during pregnancy will risk having a miscarriage. She also will put her own health at risk. For this reason, it is important to find an anti-seizure medication that poses the least amount of risk to both the woman and the fetus.

Know Your Legal Rights

If you took Depakote while pregnant and gave birth to a child with serious birth defects, you may be able to file a drug injury lawsuit against Abbott. You may be able to recover financially for the medical costs and emotional distress that you have suffered as a result of your child’s Depakote birth defects. To learn more about your legal options, visit the Depakote Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. This investigation page has a convenient form that allows you to quickly submit information about your child’s side effects to a drug injury lawyer, who will conduct a free case evaluation.