The Food and Drug Administration has warned that women who use the seizure and migraine drug Depakote while pregnant are more likely to give birth to a child with major birth defects than those who use other seizure drugs. According to data reported by the FDA, sixteen major types of birth defects have been linked to the use of Depakote by pregnant women, including neural tube defects and heart defects.

The most commonly reported birth defects among women who used Depakote during the first trimester of pregnancy were neural tube defects—including spina bifida and anencephaly—which affect the brain or spinal cord. According to the FDA’s warning about Depakote birth defects, women who take the drug during the first trimester are four times more likely to give birth to a child with spina bifida or other neural tube defects than users of other seizure medications.

The same data cited in the FDA’s Depakote warning found that pregnant women who used the medication were up to 80 times more likely to give birth to a child with major birth defects than the general population. In addition to neural tube defects, the agency also cited an increased risk of craniofacial defects, heart defects and other malformations associated with the use of Depakote.

Researched have found other evidence linking Depakote and birth defects. A 2010 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Depakote was linked to an increased risk of a number of other pregnancy side effects, including microcephaly, atrial and ventricular septal defects, tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary valve atresia, cleft palate, hypospadias, clubfoot, polydactyl and craniosynostosis.

If you or a loved one used Depakote during pregnancy and gave birth to a child with neural tube defects, heart defects or other congenital malformations, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit. For a free legal consultation, contact the lawyers at Hissey Kientz, LLP by calling toll-free at 1-866-275-4454, or by filling out the free case evaluation form located on this page.