Fathers on Valproate Linked to Offspring Risk?

New paper published in Neurology: Paternal Valproate Exposure and Offspring Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

In collaboration with CGMH and NHRI, this study looks at whether paternal exposure to valproate (a common and effective drug for epilepsy and bipolar disorder etc.) during spermatogenesis would increase the risk of NDD in their children, using the NHIRD database in Taiwan.

This has been a contentious issue since 2023: an initial report by IQVIA using a Nordic registry found significantly elevated risk, prompting a warning in the UK MHRA to advise against valproate use for male patients less than 55 years of age. However, several follow-up studies—now including our non-Nordic data, with several complementary designs to mitigate confounding—reported otherwise (i.e., null association), calling for a reconsideration of valproate regulation in men of reproductive age.

Reference:
Feng, Y.-C. A., Lin, M.-C., Tseng, C.-H., Wu, C.-S., Tsai, M.-H.*, Wang, S.-H.* (2026). Paternal valproate exposure and offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes. Neurology, 107(6), e218375.

Editorial Comment:
Voinescu, P. E. (2026). Paternal valproate and offspring neurodevelopment: A non-Nordic perspective on an unsettled question. Neurology, 107(6), e218516.