Prescription of valproate-containing medicines in women of childbearing potential who have psychiatric disorders – is it worth the risk?
Prescription of valproate-containing medicines in women of childbearing potential who have psychiatric disorders – is it worth the risk?
Valproate-containing medicines have long been used in psychiatric practice, principally in the treatment of acute manic episodes, as augmentation agents in the treatment of bipolar and unipolar depressive episodes, and in the prophylaxis of bipolar affective disorder. Many babies are still being born with the adverse consequences of valproate exposure in utero, which include congenital malformations, neurodevelopmental delay, and increased risks of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Previous measures designed to better inform women about the risks associated with valproate have not been sufficiently effective. This review highlights recent recommendations from influential regulatory and advisory bodies, summarises the relative efficacy and tolerability of valproate preparations in the psychiatric conditions for which they have often been prescribed, and offers practical guidance for the withdrawal and replacement of valproate-containing medicines in women with psychiatric disorders.
163-169
Baldwin, David
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
Amaro, Hugo
1151d701-7c46-4481-92d8-3fbd14e67610
1 February 2020
Baldwin, David
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
Amaro, Hugo
1151d701-7c46-4481-92d8-3fbd14e67610
Baldwin, David and Amaro, Hugo
(2020)
Prescription of valproate-containing medicines in women of childbearing potential who have psychiatric disorders – is it worth the risk?
CNS drugs, 34 (2), , [CNSA-D-19-00211R1].
(doi:10.1007/s40263-019-00694-4).
Abstract
Valproate-containing medicines have long been used in psychiatric practice, principally in the treatment of acute manic episodes, as augmentation agents in the treatment of bipolar and unipolar depressive episodes, and in the prophylaxis of bipolar affective disorder. Many babies are still being born with the adverse consequences of valproate exposure in utero, which include congenital malformations, neurodevelopmental delay, and increased risks of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Previous measures designed to better inform women about the risks associated with valproate have not been sufficiently effective. This review highlights recent recommendations from influential regulatory and advisory bodies, summarises the relative efficacy and tolerability of valproate preparations in the psychiatric conditions for which they have often been prescribed, and offers practical guidance for the withdrawal and replacement of valproate-containing medicines in women with psychiatric disorders.
Text
CNSDrugs-REVISION-hide-301119
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 3 December 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 16 December 2019
Published date: 1 February 2020
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
We thank Dr. Mary Houston of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton for secretarial support. This paper is based upon an invited lecture given during the 18th International Forum of Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Vienna in July 2019.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Local EPrints ID: 436409
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/436409
ISSN: 1172-7047
PURE UUID: 93654439-1c57-48de-a68d-aa4465734fc6
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Date deposited: 10 Dec 2019 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 05:07
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Author:
Hugo Amaro
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