intellectual disability

The current work -- using data from more than three million children from the United Kingdom and Sweden, including 17,495 who were exposed to antiseizure medications during pregnancy -- found that children exposed to the antiseizure drug lamotrigine in utero were at no additional risk for autism or intellectual disability compared with those exposed to other antiseizure medications.

Compared to children unexposed to antiseizure medications, those exposed to the drug topiramate during pregnancy were 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with intellectual disability, which raises their risk to 2.1% by age 12.

This study supports findings from previous research that link the antiseizure drugs valproate, topiramate, and carbamazepine with neurodevelopmental diagnoses in offspring, such as autism, intellectual disability and ADHD.

Previous studies in smaller populations also link in utero exposure of these drugs with neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring, such as ones linking topiramate and intellectual disability, and those associating valproate and lower IQ.

The first notable subject to use facilitated communication was Anne McDonald, a non-verbal Australian woman with cerebral palsy, a severe intellectual disability, and no control over her limbs.