antiepileptic drug - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

Prenatal Exposure to Antiepileptic Drugs Associated with Worse Developmental Outcomes

We have previously written about studies which indicate that prenatal exposure to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), particularly valproic acid, may adversely affect the developing fetus. Numerous studies have documented long-term effects of antiepileptic exposure on cognitive functioning: prenatal exposure to AEDs has been associated with lower IQs, as well as lower scores on tests of executive functioning, memory, verbal and nonverbal abilities, in children at 6 yeas of age (Meador KJ et al, 2012). These deficits were the most prominent in children exposed to valproic acid.

By Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD|2025-06-26T09:08:12-04:00September 27th, 2013|Anti-Epileptic Drugs, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off

Folic Acid Supplementation is Recommended for All Women Taking Anticonvulsants and Planning Pregnancy

Given recent discussions within our group and with our colleague, Lewis Holmes, MD, chief of the Genetics and Teratology Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and director of the North American AED (Antiepileptic Drug) Pregnancy Registry, I wanted to expand upon a previous blog post. In the initial post, I wrote that women who take certain medications, like mood stabilizers or antiepileptic drugs, are advised to take increased doses of folic acid before pregnancy and throughout pregnancy.

By Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD|2025-06-26T09:08:21-04:00November 11th, 2008|Anti-Epileptic Drugs, Bipolar Disorder, Medication, Mood Stabilizers, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy, Treatment|Comments Off

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