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Article: MDs urged to avoid valproate in fertile women: risk of major fetal malformations cited.(News)
- Article from:
- OB GYN News
- Article date:
- January 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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NEW ORLEANS -- Valproate should not be prescribed as first-line therapy for any indication in women of childbearing age because it significantly increases the risk of major malformations in exposed infants, the American Epilepsy Society's pregnancy outcomes forum panel has recommended.
Converging data from six studies that were presented at the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society and two recently published studies prompted the recommendation, said Kimford Meador, M.D., who is the director of the epilepsy program at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and a member of the panel.
"This isn't class I evidence--we're never going to have ...