Epilim & autism?

The media does enjoy dropping in these scare stories, but their editors don't have to think about the impact of their sensationalist accounts on parents. This story seems to have been fronted recently by the Daily Mail.

There was a report earlier this year www.epilepsy.org.uk/.../new-study-links-sodium-valproate-autism

Its the sodium valproate in epilim that's the issue. The Danish research shows an increased risk but doesn't advise mothers not taking this medication during pregnancy. In other words the beneficial effects of the medication are considered vastly more important than increased risk of autism births which is disproportionately small.

There was also a study in the north of England by the Department of Medical & Clinical Pharmacology at Liverpool University www.epilepsy.org.uk/.../epilim-and-pregnancy

They claim taking it made children more likely to be born with autism, ADHD or dyspraxia. Epilim alone incurs six times the risk, and with other epilepsy medications ten times the risk. Of 415 children, 19 had developmental problems by the age of 6, 12 being autism and 4 with dyspraxia.

The study population was small, however (as is often the case with these researches) and doesn't necessarily rule out other factors. 12 out of 415 is under 3%.

NAS however doesn't seem to have commented elsewhere, and you'd expect Government comments if serious, and there have been 8 or 9 months since these stories were reported. The fact it has only been picked up by papers like the Daily Mail suggest the impactt is not considered significant.

The media does enjoy dropping in these scare stories, but their editors don't have to think about the impact of their sensationalist accounts on parents. This story seems to have been fronted recently by the Daily Mail.

There was a report earlier this year www.epilepsy.org.uk/.../new-study-links-sodium-valproate-autism

Its the sodium valproate in epilim that's the issue. The Danish research shows an increased risk but doesn't advise mothers not taking this medication during pregnancy. In other words the beneficial effects of the medication are considered vastly more important than increased risk of autism births which is disproportionately small.

There was also a study in the north of England by the Department of Medical & Clinical Pharmacology at Liverpool University www.epilepsy.org.uk/.../epilim-and-pregnancy

They claim taking it made children more likely to be born with autism, ADHD or dyspraxia. Epilim alone incurs six times the risk, and with other epilepsy medications ten times the risk. Of 415 children, 19 had developmental problems by the age of 6, 12 being autism and 4 with dyspraxia.

The study population was small, however (as is often the case with these researches) and doesn't necessarily rule out other factors. 12 out of 415 is under 3%.

NAS however doesn't seem to have commented elsewhere, and you'd expect Government comments if serious, and there have been 8 or 9 months since these stories were reported. The fact it has only been picked up by papers like the Daily Mail suggest the impactt is not considered significant.