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Epilepsy

Should valproate be avoided during childbearing years?

In utero exposure to antiepileptic drugs carries teratogenic risks, but little is known about the potential effects of such agents on neurocognitive development. The results from a large prospective study that set out to address this issue add to the mounting evidence against the use of valproate in women with epilepsy during childbearing years.

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Correspondence to Joseph E. Sullivan.

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Maccotta, L., Sullivan, J. Should valproate be avoided during childbearing years?. Nat Rev Neurol 5, 414–415 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2009.92

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