Depakote (divalproex sodium) is a drug manufactured by Abbott Laboratories that was designed for treatment of epileptics and individuals with bipolar disorder. Specifically, it is an anti-seizure drug for epileptics, and medicine used to treat the manic behavior associated with bipolar disorder. In more recent years Depakote has been taken for the purposes of treating both the manic and depressive components of bipolar disorder, as well as for migraine headaches. Soon after Depakote began being prescribed to treat manic disorders, side effects related to its use began to surface. Specifically, Depakote was linked to serious birth defects in the children who were born to mothers who were taking Depakote while pregnant.
The use of Depakote during pregnancy has been shown to cause harm to the fetus, often resulting in irreversible birth defects. Perhaps the most serious congenital side effect associated with Depakote is spina bifida, a malformation or incomplete formation of the embryonic neural tube. The result is an infant born with incomplete spinal formation, allowing exposure of the spinal cord.
Depakote has been linked to serious birth defects in children who were born from mothers that took Depakote while they were pregnant. Some of these birth injuries include: