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Depakote falls from Category D to X with IQ side effect

If you ask any parent what they want most for their child, many would respond that they simply hope that their child grows up as happy and healthy as possible. Parents in Los Angeles will do everything that they can to keep their child safe, but they don't have complete control. Parents must also put their trust in others to uphold this same duty.

A lot of consumers use the drug Depakote to treat serious migraines, but the Food and Drug Administration recently announced that the makers of the drug may be putting unborn children at risk. Specifically, the FDA warned pregnant mothers that Depakote could affect their child's intellectual development.

According to the FDA, the sodium valproate contained in the drug could not only cause birth defects, but researchers found that the drug could actually decrease a child's IQ on average anywhere from 8 to 11 points. This conclusion factored into the reclassification of the drug itself.

Drugs that have the possibility of causing certain side effects but are still considered acceptable fall under the Category D classification. When the FDA determines that the risks involved in taking the drug may actually outweigh the benefits that it provides, it moves into the Category X. That is where Depakote now falls on the categorical chart.

Even though it is one of the most reliable drugs for debilitating headaches, migraines and even bi-polar disorder, the FDA says that the harm outweighs those benefits when it comes to expectant mothers and their developing children.

Source: Fox 9, "FDA warns migraine medicine Depakote may lower child's IQ," Bill Keller, May 6, 2013

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