WASHINGTON, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The use of valproate, an anticonvulsant drug used to treat epilepsy, during pregnancy has proven to be associated with a significantly increased risk of autism in offspring, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Valproate has previously been linked to increased risk in congenital malformations and delayed cognitive development, but little is known about the risk of other serious neuropsychiatric disorders.
Researchers with the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark focused their research on 665,615 babies born between 1996 and 2006. The average age of the children at the end of follow-up was 8.8 years. During the study period, 5,437 children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, including 2,067 with childhood autism.
The researchers identified mothers of 2,644 children exposed to antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy, including 508 exposed to valproate. They concluded that valproate was associated with an absolute risk of 4.42 percent for autism spectrum disorder and 2. 50 percent for childhood autism, compared with a total risk of 1. 53 percent for autism spectrum disorder and of 0.48 percent for childhood autism.
"For women of childbearing potential who use antiepileptic medications, these findings must be balanced against the treatment benefits for women who require valproate for epilepsy control," the researchers wrote.
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