--- title: Prescribing Valproic Acid to Women of Childbearing Age Not Uncommon description: Nearly one in five valproic acid (VPA) prescriptions filled between 2017 and 2022 went to women of childbearing age, most commonly for mood disorders and migraine. image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pills_pregnant_iStock-1443539399.jpg --- 12/18/25 3:23 PM # Prescribing Valproic Acid to Women of Childbearing Age Not Uncommon ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/prescribing-valproic-acid-to-women-of-childbearing-age-not-uncommon) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/prescribing-valproic-acid-to-women-of-childbearing-age-not-uncommon) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/prescribing-valproic-acid-to-women-of-childbearing-age-not-uncommon) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/prescribing-valproic-acid-to-women-of-childbearing-age-not-uncommon) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/prescribing-valproic-acid-to-women-of-childbearing-age-not-uncommon) ![pills_pregnant_iStock-1443539399](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pills_pregnant_iStock-1443539399.jpg?width=220&height=147&name=pills_pregnant_iStock-1443539399.jpg)Nearly one in five valproic acid (VPA) prescriptions filled between 2017 and 2022 went to women of childbearing age, most commonly for mood disorders and migraine, according to a [study](https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/valproic-acid-use-females-reproductive-age/) in the *Journal of Clinical Psychiatry*. Further, a sizeable majority of these women receiving VPA weren’t using prescription contraceptives.   **Why It’s Important** VPA is highly effective for epilepsy, migraine, and bipolar disorder, but it also carries one of the highest risks of any drug for causing congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental disorders in children exposed to the drug in utero. In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration issued a [communication](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-communication-valproate-anti-seizure-products-contraindicated-migraine-prevention) stating that VPA should not be prescribed to pregnant women for migraine prophylaxis due to decreased IQ scores seen in exposed children.   **By the Numbers** - According to Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, there were 29,754,849 VPA prescriptions from 2017-2022, of which **18% went to women ages 12 to 49**. - Of the estimated 153,129 women of reproductive age who filled a prescription for VPA, just **14% had documented use of contraception**. - Most VPA prescriptions to women aged 12-49 were for migraine (27%), followed by bipolar disorder (25%) and convulsions or epilepsy (21%). - In contrast, among women ages 50+, most VPA prescriptions were for bipolar disorder (30%), followed by a depressive episode (20%). - Total VPA prescribing declined by half over the study period, from 5,945,500 in 2017 to 2,969,230 in 2022. **The Other Side** MEPS data relies on self-reports, which may be prone to recall bias. Also, the MEPS does not include over-the-counter contraceptives or implants like an intrauterine device, so the contraception rate among women taking VPA may be slightly higher.   **What’s Next** “It is crucial to ensure that all clinicians are trained/prompted to inform patients about the teratogenic risks of VPA use, since it influences reproductive planning decisions,” the study authors wrote. They added that future research is needed on “development and implementation of interventions to reduce VPA use in women of reproductive age and/or encourage contraceptive use.”   **Related Article** [Demanding a REMS to Prevent Fetal Exposure to Valproate](https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2025.12.12.13)   **Source** Nina Vadiei et al. Valproic acid use trends, patterns, and predictors in females of reproductive age in the United States. Published December 15, 2025.  Doi: 10.4088/JCP.25m16009   (Image: Getty Images/iStock/miljko) [bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bipolar-disorder), [valproate](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/valproate), [epilepsy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/epilepsy), [migraine](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/migraine), [birth defects](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/birth-defects), [contraception](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/contraception), [valproic acid](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/valproic-acid) ## Related Posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pregnancy_iStock-1190394881-Jun-24-2025-09-12-34-2022-PM.jpg?height=200&name=pregnancy_iStock-1190394881-Jun-24-2025-09-12-34-2022-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2024/05/warnings-of-valproic-acids-fetal-risks.html) ## [Warnings of Valproic Acid’s Fetal Risks Fail To Boost Concurrent Contraceptive Use](https://alert.psychnews.org/2024/05/warnings-of-valproic-acids-fetal-risks.html) 5/23/24 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2024/05/warnings-of-valproic-acids-fetal-risks.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Ultrasound_74054737-Jun-24-2025-10-26-07-9678-PM.jpg?height=200&name=Ultrasound_74054737-Jun-24-2025-10-26-07-9678-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/antiseizure-medication-raises-risk-of.html) ## [Antiseizure Medication Raises Risk of Autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/antiseizure-medication-raises-risk-of.html) 12/7/11 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/antiseizure-medication-raises-risk-of.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_20784283-Jun-24-2025-05-24-18-9758-PM.jpg?height=200&name=shutterstock_20784283-Jun-24-2025-05-24-18-9758-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/04/prenatal-valproate-exposure-raises-risk.html) ## [Prenatal Valproate Exposure Raises Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/04/prenatal-valproate-exposure-raises-risk.html) 4/26/13 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/04/prenatal-valproate-exposure-raises-risk.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-12-18T20:24:30.106Z", "datePublished" : "2025-12-18T20:23:40.000Z", "headline" : "Prescribing Valproic Acid to Women of Childbearing Age Not Uncommon", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pills_pregnant_iStock-1443539399.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/prescribing-valproic-acid-to-women-of-childbearing-age-not-uncommon", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```