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-9-70-a 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-9-9-9 Anticonvulsant Drugs Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Anticonvulsants and Bone Mineral Density 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 09 1995 01 06 2016 9 9 70 70 Copyright: © 1995 The Author(s) 1995 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. Effect of carbamazepine and valproate on bone mineral density

The effect of carbamazepine and valproate monotherapy on bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 27 healthy children and 26 children with uncomplicated idiopathic epilepsy treated with an anticonvulsant for longer than 18 months at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, Canada.

 Valproate Monotherapy Dual-Energy X-Ray Anticonvulsant

The effect of carbamazepine and valproate monotherapy on bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 27 healthy children and 26 children with uncomplicated idiopathic epilepsy treated with an anticonvulsant for longer than 18 months at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, Canada. Mean serum trough levels for carbamazepine and valproate were 6.88 and 72.04 mcg/ml, respectively. Dietary calcium was similar in treated and control patients. Valproate caused a 10 to 14% reduction in bone mineral density, and the percent reduction was related to treatment duration. Carbamazepine had no significant effect on bone mineral density. [1]

COMMENT. Valproate but not carbamazepine causes reduction in mineralization of bone in children and adolescents, aged 8 to 20 (mean 15 years) and may predispose to osteoporotic fractures. The mechanism of decreased mineralization is undetermined. The authors suggest possible preventive measures including calcium dietary supplements, weight-bearing exercises, and avoidance of smoking.

 Sheth RD Wesolowski CA Jacob JC Penney S Hobbs GR Riggs JE Effect of carbamazepine and valproate on bone mineral density J Pediatr 1995 Aug 127 2 256 62 7636651 10.1016/S0022-3476(95)70304-7