Abstract
In a prospective observational study published in the current issue of Neurology ®, Shallcross et al.1 compared cognitive and language skills of children born to women with epilepsy (WWE) exposed in utero to levetiracetam (LEV, n = 53) or sodium valproate (VPA, n = 44), and control children born to mothers without epilepsy or medication exposure during pregnancy (n = 133). WWE were recruited from the UK Epilepsy Pregnancy Registry. Children were evaluated at the age of 36–54 months, building on previous findings at 24 months of age. The authors found no difference between LEV-exposed and control children. VPA-exposed children had lower scores on tests of gross motor skills, comprehension, and expressive language abilities than LEV-exposed children. The authors conclude that in utero exposure to VPA, but not LEV, is associated with neurodevelopmental deficits of motor and language abilities.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
