Depakote Birth Defects – Parents Should Not Suffer In Silence

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011 at 6:00 pm

Depakote Birth Defects

A study of women who were prescribed Depakote drug (chemically valproic acid) during the first 3 month of their pregnancies found that they faced higher risk of giving birth to babies with serious Depakote birth defects that could affect their brain, heart or limbs as compared to those women who did not take such a drug. Depakote has been a subject of attention because it has been associated with various other Depakote birth defects as well.

Depakote was initially introduced in the US market by Abbott Laboratories in 1983 for treating epilepsy. Later, it was also used for treating other conditions like migraine and bipolar disease (mood disorders). At the time of introduction, the drug did not carry any cautionary note about its use by pregnant women. The drug created a stir when reports about Depakote birth defects in children born to many of the women who took the drug during their first trimester of pregnancy began to surface.

In 2009, The USFDA had warned of the danger associated with Depakote and asked the drug to be prescribed to pregnant women only if absolutely necessary.

Reports of Depakote Birth Defects

In June 2010, a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that the use of the drug during the first 3 months of the pregnancy increased the chances of their babies contracting Depakote birth defects like:

Spina bifida (spinal cord and backbone fail to develop properly)
atrial septal defect (a hole in the heart)
cleft palate
hypospadias (an abnormality in the opening of the urethra in boys),
polydactyly (extra fingers or toes)
and craniosynostosis (one or more sutures on a baby’s skull close prematurely)

It was reported that those women faced Depakote birth defect risks two to twelve times higher than women who did not take the drug.

Many other studies, e.g. those by The UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register and The European and International Registry of Antiepileptic Drugs in Pregnancy (EURAP), etc have confirmed the fears of Depakote birth defects and concluded that the use of Depakote posed greater risks for pregnant women than benefits.

As a result the drug was issued black box warning in 2006 by the FDA.

Depakote Birth Defects Lawsuit

In Jan 2011, a group of 26 women, who were prescribed Depakote when they were pregnant, filed Depakote birth defect lawsuit against the manufacturer. These women gave births to children who suffered from Depakote birth. They claimed that Abbott Laboratories was aware of the Depakote birth defects risks when taken during pregnancy, and, instead of working in the interests of the consumers, the company actually went all out to minimize the risks associated with the use of Depakote.

Prior to this, a dozen women from several places had filed Depakote birth defects lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories.

Their claims included compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering (mental as well as physical), loss of enjoyment of life with the newborn and other reliefs.

If you or someone you know has taken the drug Depakote and has experienced one or more of above mentioned Depakote birth defects, then it is strongly recommended that you consider options for filing a Depakote lawsuit. You have to first find out if you have a case; We can help you by offering a free Depakote Compensation Evaluation. This is a FREE service: to receive the evaluation form, please enter your details (name and email) on the optin form that you’ll find on this site and you’ll receive the form via email instantly. . Your details will be kept confidential and you will be contacted within 24 hours if you qualify for compensation.