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Susan Jamison, a mother from Belfast, has shared her painful experience with sodium valproate, a medication prescribed for epilepsy. She expressed feelings of both “guilt” and “anger” due to the lack of information regarding the drug’s potential risks to unborn children. Sodium valproate, also used to treat bipolar disorder, has been linked to serious birth defects such as cleft palate, spina bifida, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Although warnings are now included on the medication, Susan revealed that when she took the drug during her pregnancies in the 1990s, she was not informed of these dangers.
Diagnosed with epilepsy as a teenager, Susan found relief in sodium valproate, which controlled her seizures effectively. However, when she became pregnant, doctors assured her that continuing the medication would not be a problem. Despite this, her children were born with conditions associated with fetal valproate syndrome. Her daughter Anna suffers from epilepsy, autism, ADHD, learning difficulties, and bone pain. It is estimated that around 20,000 people in the UK have been affected by sodium valproate-related disabilities, including 500 to 600 in Northern Ireland alone.
The issue of appropriate compensation has been raised repeatedly. A 2020 review recommended financial redress for those impacted, and a 2024 report emphasized an “urgent” need for action. Dr Henrietta Hughes, England’s first patient safety commissioner, wrote to the former Prime Minister highlighting the government’s lack of a substantial response but has yet to receive a reply. Many families, including Susan’s, are still waiting for official acknowledgement and a structured care path for affected children, many of whom will require lifelong support.
Key voices in Northern Ireland have called
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