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Short-Term Side Effects of Low Dose Valproate Monotherapy in Epileptic Children: A Prospective Study

Parisa Nasr Esfahani1, Jafar Nasiri2, Shervin Badihian1,2

  • 1Students' Research Center, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Iranian Journal of Child Neurology
|May 1, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Low dose valproate monotherapy in children with epilepsy can cause various side effects, including weight gain and decreased appetite in younger patients. While often not serious, some effects like enuresis warrant further attention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Valproate is commonly prescribed for childhood epilepsy.
  • Understanding the short-term adverse effects of low-dose valproate monotherapy is crucial for effective pediatric patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the short-term side effects of low-dose valproate monotherapy in children with epilepsy.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study involving 209 epileptic children treated with low-dose valproate (20-30 mg/kg/d).
  • Side effects were monitored through clinical visits and laboratory tests over a 6-month period.

Main Results:

  • Weight gain was the most common side effect (53.1%).
  • Other reported effects included decreased appetite (11%), abdominal pain (16.3%), headache (5.7%), enuresis (8.1%), and hair loss (6.7%).
  • Rarely, thrombocytopenia, impaired liver function, and leukopenia were observed.

Conclusions:

  • Low-dose valproate monotherapy can lead to various, mostly non-life-threatening, side effects in children.
  • Decreased appetite in younger patients, enuresis, and abnormal color vision are notable side effects that require further investigation and clinical consideration.
Abstract

Keywords:
Adverse drug reactionsEpilepsyPediatricsValproate monotherapy

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