Inside the battle for a life-changing drug

A medical tragedy, an overcorrection, and a system that may be causing more harm than good.

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 Insight we hear from neurologists who believe the system might have overcorrected as a result of this tragedy, causing more harm than good.

Kate Lamble is joined by Janet Williams, Hannah Barnes, and Dr Dominic Heaney.