Is Sodium Valproate the new ‘Thalidomide Scandal’? - written by Maria Farrell, Solicitor, Clinical Negligence
Is Sodium Valproate the new ‘Thalidomide Scandal’?
Sodium Valproate is a drug prescribed to treat epilepsy, to help in the control of fits and seizures. It is also prescribed for the treatment of bipolar disorders and other conditions.
Sodium Valproate can be administered orally in the form of pills or granules or by injection, the latter form only to be administered in hospital.
If taken during pregnancy it is said to potentially cause problems for a baby’s development, however it appears that this drug is still being prescribed to pregnant women.
This drug is currently back in the news once again in 2022.
The guidance document given by the Government website, published on 23 March 2018 and updated 11 February 2021, warns of the risk of taking Valproate medicines during pregnancy. It states that:
“If Valproate is taken during pregnancy up to 4 in 10 babies are at risk of developmental disorders and apparently 1 on 10 are at risk of birth defects.”
The developmental disorders listed include speech and poor language skills and lateness in ability in learning to walk and talk. The birth defects listed include spina bifida, facial and skull malfunctions and malfunctions of the heart, kidney and sexual organs.
The question is, is this drug still being prescribed to pregnant women? And if so, have the risks been fully explained to pregnant women who have taken or are still being prescribed this drug under the Supreme Court decision in Montgomery (Appellant) v Lanarkshire Health Board (Respondent)(Scotland)?
Is there potentially another Thalidomide - style scandal facing the NHS?
Many are aware that the drug Thalidomide, popularly prescribed in the 1950’s to treat morning sickness in pregnant women, affected more than 10,000 babies who either dies or were born with birth defects. The drug was withdrawn from use in 1961. The UK Government gave survivors a grant as a result of successful legal settlement.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/valproate-use-by-women-and-girls
