1043-3155 Pediatr Neurol Briefs pedneurbriefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs Pediatric Neurology Briefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs 2166-6482 1043-3155 2166-3155 Pediatric Neurology Briefs Publishers Chicago, IL, USA PNB-8-40-b 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-8-5-12 Toxic Disorders Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Fetal Valproate Syndrome in Siblings http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-7931 Millichap J. Gordon MD 1 2 * Division of Neurology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Correspondence: Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, E-mail: jgmillichap@northwestern.edu 05 1994 01 06 2016 8 5 40 40 Copyright: © 1994 The Author(s) 1994 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Fetal valproate syndrome: clinical and neuro-developmental features in two sibling pairs

Clinical and neurodevelopmental findings in four children (two sibling pairs) exposed in utero to valproic acid are reported from the Departments of Paediatrics and Human Genetics, University of Witaterstrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

 Characteristic Dysmorphic Features Speech Disability Fetal Valproate Syndrome

Clinical and neurodevelopmental findings in four children (two sibling pairs) exposed in utero to valproic acid are reported from the Departments of Paediatrics and Human Genetics, University of Witaterstrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Three were globally developmentally delayed with marked speech disability, characteristic dysmorphic features, and one with autism. The fourth child had dysmorphism and a learning disability. [1]

COMMENT. Future children could be at increased risk of fetal valproate syndrome if valproate is continued during pregnancy. The drug itself, the dosage, the genetic susceptibility, and other environmental factors are involved in the etiology of drug-related birth defects. In addition to adverse effects on the fetus, valproate is reported to cause reproductive disorders, including polycystic ovaries and hyperandrogenism, in women with epilepsy (see Ped Neur Briefs Dec 1993).

 Christianson AL Chesler N Kromberg JG Fetal valproate syndrome: clinical and neuro-developmental features in two sibling pairs Dev Med Child Neurol 1994 Apr 36 4 361 9 7512516 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1994.tb11858.x