Exposure to Sodium Valproate during Pregnancy: Facial Features and Signs of Autism.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Valproic acid (VPA) is the most teratogenic anticonvulsant drug in clinical use today. Children exposed prenatally to VPA have previously been shown to have dysmorphic craniofacial features, identified subjectively but not by anthropometric methods. Exposure to VPA has also been associated with an increased frequency of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An increased cephalic index (the ratio of the cranial lateral width to the cranial anterior-posterior length) has been observed in children with ASD.

Methods

Forty-seven children exposed to VPA during the first trimester of pregnancy were evaluated for dysmorphic facial features, identified subjectively and by measurements. Each VPA-exposed child was evaluated for ASD using the Social Communication Questionnaire, Aut

SUBMITTER: Stadelmaier R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5555794 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature