New genetic changes are not implicated in antiepileptic medication-induced birth defects

Associate Professor Piero Perucca

is lead author on the study.

New research led by Associate Professor Piero Perucca from Monash University's Department of Neuroscience has found that there is no added risk of a child developing “de novo” variants — a genetic change seen for the first time in a family member — as a result of their mother taking common anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs).

This study is the first to investigate whether AEDs taken during pregnancy can increase de novo variants in a baby’s genes, which was previously thought to be related to birth defects associated with the drugs.