Exposure to Depakote During Pregnancy Has Negative Impact on Academics

Stockholm, SwedenA Swedish study published recently in Epilepsia has found that taking multiple anti-epilepsy drugs like Depakote during pregnancy can have a negative impact on the academic abilities of the children, Businessweek reports.

The study examined women with epilepsy who gave birth between 1973 and 1986, looking at both the anti-epileptic drugs they took during their pregnancies and the eventual academic performance of their children.

Of the 1,235 children covered in the study, 641 were exposed to one anti-epileptic drug in utero while 429 were exposed to two or more. The remaining 165 children experienced no exposure to these medications.

Comparing the academic records of these children to those of all children born in Sweden during the window between 1973 and 1986, the researchers found that children exposed to two or more anti-epilepsy drugs were more likely to have failed to receive a final grade, which the source states typically indicates a failure to attend general school due to mental deficits.

Although children exposed to only one anti-epileptic drug were less likely to receive marks of excellence, researchers cautioned that this could be due to other social and genetic factors.

The data also found that valproic acid—the generic name for Depakote—had a larger negative impact on the academic performance of children than other anti-epileptic drugs, although too few children in the study were exposed to valproic acid for the researchers to draw legitimate conclusions.