Treatment of childhood epilepsy with valproic acid

We evaluated valproic acid (VPA) for 6 months as therapy for uncontrolled seizures in 100 children, 38 with partial and 62 with generalized epilepsy. Sixty-one patients experienced more than a 75% decrease in seizures. The improvement in generalized epilepsy paralleled adult VPA studies, but partial epilepsy improved more than expected, even though acceptable seizure control was often achieved only after 6 months of VP therapy. The most significant side effect was gastrointestinal distress, which was alleviated by dietary changes. Limited experience suggested that enteric-coated capsules eliminated gastrointestinal symptoms. Hematologic, hepatic, and behavioral sequelae were minimal.