title: Fetal Valproate Syndrome.
abstract: There have been several reports of congenital malformations in the offspring of mothers who took valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy as a treatment for epilepsy.
  
  
  
  Herein, we describe four cases with typically similar facial features of fetal valproate syndrome accompanied to minor skeletal abnormalities.
  
  
  
  The first case was a 16-month-old girl, presenting with facial dysmorphism, and finger abnormalities. Her mother took VPA (1500 mg/d) up to the 10thgestational week and at a dosage of 1000 mg/d through the pregnancy. The second patient was 5-year-old boy with speech disability, bilateral cryptorchidism, facial dysmorphism, and finger abnormalities whose mother took VPA (1000 mg/d) through pregnancy. The third 19-month-old patient was the brother of the second patient who had facial dysmorphism, bilateral cryptorchidism, and finger abnormalities. His mother also took VPA (1000 mg/d) through pregnancy. The fourth 3-year and 6 month-old boy with minor facial dysmorphism and sternum deformity was exposed to VPA (500 mg/d) in utero.
  
  
  
  In conclusion, there is a recognizable spectrum of abnormalities in some infants exposed to VPA without dose-depence and the common facial dysmorphic features and minor skeletal abnormalities that may occur within the both low and high dose VPA use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Genetics, Meram Medical Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey. Electronic address: haticemutlu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hatice
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mutlu-Albayrak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Meram Medical Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cahide
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bulut
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Genetics, Meram Medical Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey; Department of Pediatric Neurology, Meram Medical Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Çaksen
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000139:chemically induced; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000139:chemically induced; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000002:abnormalities; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D013249:Sternum / Q000002:abnormalities; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014635:Valproic Acid
keywords: facial dysmorphism; fetal valproate syndrome; minor birth defects; skeletal abnormalities