• drugs during pregnancy

    Cognitive Development in Children Exposed to Levetiracetam (Keppra)

    An increasing number of reproductive age women now take newer anticonvulsants for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders; however, information regarding the reproductive safety of these medications is limited.  A recent study has evaluated the cognitive and language development of children born to women with epilepsy exposed in utero to levetiracetam (LEV, Keppra) or sodium valproate (VPA, Depakote), as compared to control children born to women without epilepsy not taking medication during pregnancy.

    New FDA Warning on the Use of Antipsychotic Medications in Pregnancy

    On February 22, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed healthcare professionals that drug labels for the entire class of antipsychotic drugs have been updated to include warnings regarding the use of antipsychotic drugs during pregnancy. The new drug labels now contain more details on the potential risk for abnormal muscle movements (extrapyramidal signs or EPS) and withdrawal symptoms in newborns exposed to these drugs during the third trimester of pregnancy.

    Valproic Acid and the Risk of Major Malformations

    Previous studies have indicated that infants exposed to valproic acid in pregnancy are at increased risk for a range of malformations, including neural tube defects.  While these studies have shown an association between valproic acid and various malformations, they have been limited in their ability to quantify the risk of certain, less common malformations.  To do this, large population-based case–control studies are more appropriate.

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