Effect of sodium valproate and foetal valproate syndrome

Early day motion 1016, tabled 15 October 2020 by Jon Trickett (Labour). Signed by 11 members.

That this House is concerned that 300 children every year are born with foetal valproate syndrome as a result of the drug sodium valproate being prescribed to women during pregnancy; expresses shock that between 1973 and 2016 no explanation of side effects linked to the drug, such as kidney and heart malformations in children, were provided to these pregnant women before they were prescribed sodium valproate; notes that despite the introduction of a Valproate Toolkit in 2016 to provide information about the drug to patients and healthcare professionals, the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review of July 2020 found that women are still becoming pregnant while on Sodium Valproate without any knowledge of the risks; pays tribute to the work of the Independent Foetal Anti-Convulsant Trust for its work raising awareness of this issue; and calls on the Government to apologise to the thousands of families affected and to immediately establish a task force in order to implement the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review 2020 in full.

Signatures by party: Labour 5, Plaid Cymru 3, DUP 1, Labour/Co-operative 1, Scottish National Party 1.