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No Sign That Valproate Affects Thyroid Or Parathyroid Function In Children
A DGReview of :"No effect of long-term valproate therapy on thyroid and parathyroid functions in children"
International Journal of Neuroscience
03/18/2003
By Alison Palkhivala
Long-term use of valproate does not appear to have any effect on several measures of thyroid and parathyroid functioning in children with epilepsy.
Researchers from the department of paediatrics, Yuzuncu Yil University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey, and led by H. Caksen, measured serum calcium, phosphorous, alkaline phosphatase, thyroid hormones, parathyroid hormone and osteocalcine levels in 31 children with epilepsy who had been taking valproate for one to five years. They made the same measurements in 22 health age-matched children, who served as controls.
Children's ages ranged from 15 months to 16 years in the valproate group and 18 months to 17 years in the control group. The thyroid hormone levels measured included total thyroxine, free thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone.
The investigators found no differences in any of the measures they took between the children taking valproate and the control children. Based on these results, they concluded that valproate can safely be used in children with thyroid and parathyroid dysfunction.
Int J Neurosci 2002 Nov;112:1:1371-4.
"No effect of long-term valproate therapy on thyroid and parathyroid functions in children"
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