"It's guided by six rats": The battle for a life-changing drug
For some with epilepsy, valproate is the only medication which can control their seizures. But for decades women say they were not made aware of the risk this drug posed for their unborn children.
Today we know around 11% of the children born to women who take valproate during pregnancy have major congenital disorders. 30-40% experience other conditions including delays in early development, poor language skills, and lower intellectual abilities. There’s also an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder.
Restrictions on how the drug should be used have since been tightened. But this week on…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.