Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34663708›Full record

ArticleNeurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)2021

Valproic acid for children below 2 years of age with epilepsy.

Osama Y Muthaffar, Salha M Almahmudi, Muna O Alrabghi, Maria M Bin Mahfouz, Nuha S Alfawaz

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Drug-Induced Liver Injury-Pharmacological Spectrum Among Children.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Anti-seizure Medications: Challenges and Opportunities.CNS & neurological disorders drug targets · 2024
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Osama Y MuthaffarFrom the Department of Pediatrics (Muthaffar), and from the Faculty of Pharmacy (Almahmudi, Alrabghi, Bin Mahfouz, Alfawaz), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Salha M AlmahmudiFrom the Department of Pediatrics (Muthaffar), and from the Faculty of Pharmacy (Almahmudi, Alrabghi, Bin Mahfouz, Alfawaz), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Muna O AlrabghiFrom the Department of Pediatrics (Muthaffar), and from the Faculty of Pharmacy (Almahmudi, Alrabghi, Bin Mahfouz, Alfawaz), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Maria M Bin MahfouzFrom the Department of Pediatrics (Muthaffar), and from the Faculty of Pharmacy (Almahmudi, Alrabghi, Bin Mahfouz, Alfawaz), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Nuha S AlfawazFrom the Department of Pediatrics (Muthaffar), and from the Faculty of Pharmacy (Almahmudi, Alrabghi, Bin Mahfouz, Alfawaz), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
King Abdulaziz University · SA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo evaluate the efficacy of valproic acid (VPA) in a cohort of children below 2 years of age. We also aim to review the characteristics of such patients and the role and safety of VPA for this age group.

methodsA retrospective chart review conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdome of Saudi Arabia, for children below 2 years of age diagnosed with epilepsy and treated with valproic acid from January 2016 to January 2020.

resultsThe cohort for this study includes 50 children below the age of 2 years (25 males, 25 females). Aged 3 months to 23 months at commencing valproic acid. The mean age of seizure onset was 9 months and the mean age of starting valproic acid was 16 months. Thirty-two patients (64%) had more than 50% seizure improvement after valproic acid. Eleven patients (22%) were seizure-free. No statistical significance abnormalities in blood count indices and ammonia were seen during the treatment period. Two patients had dose-related lethargy that improved after decreasing their dosage. Asymptomatic mild elevation in glutamate dehydrogenase was noticed in 18% of patients.

conclusionUsing valproic acid in infants and children below the age of 2 years can be considered as a safe and effective treatment option for epilepsy in this age group.

Indexed as

EpilepsyValproic AcidAnticonvulsantsChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantMaleRetrospective StudiesSeizuresAnticonvulsantsValproic Acid

Identifiers

PMID34663708
PMCPMC9037764
OpenAlexW3207578751

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.