[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":236},["ShallowReactive",2],{"oacs-site-data":3,"page:\u002Fabout-facs":99},{"id":4,"extension":5,"meta":6,"stem":97,"__hash__":98},"site\u002Fsite.yaml","yaml",{"name":7,"shortName":8,"navTitle":7,"navSubtitle":9,"legalName":9,"charityNumber":10,"charityNumberLabel":11,"tagline":12,"heroTitle":13,"heroLead":14,"description":15,"contactEmail":16,"nav":17,"donateAmounts":88,"cta":93},"OACS Charity","OACS","Organisation for Anti-Convulsant Syndrome","1116497","Registered Charity No. 1116497","Support for families affected by Foetal Anti-Convulsant Syndrome and valproate-related conditions","Support","Support, recognition, and improved services for families touched by Foetal Anti-Convulsant Syndromes.","OACS supports families affected by Foetal Anti-Convulsant Syndrome (FACS), Foetal Valproate Syndrome (FVS), and related conditions. Information on valproate, Epilim, and anti-convulsant medicines in pregnancy.","oacscharity.org@gmail.com",[18,26,45,51,56,79,85],{"label":19,"to":20,"feature":21},"Home","\u002F",{"title":22,"description":23,"ctaLabel":24,"to":25},"Supporting families living with F.A.C.S","Recognition, improved services, and support for families touched by Fetal Anti-Convulsant Syndromes.","Get support","\u002Foacs-ireland",{"label":27,"to":28,"feature":29,"children":33},"About F.A.C.S","\u002Fabout-facs",{"title":30,"description":31,"ctaLabel":32,"to":28},"What is F.A.C.S?","Understand Fetal Anti-Convulsant Syndrome, valproate risks, and the conditions it can cause.","Read about F.A.C.S",[34,37,41],{"label":35,"to":28,"description":36},"Overview","What F.A.C.S is and how it presents",{"label":38,"to":39,"description":40},"Risks & Diagnosis","\u002Fabout-facs\u002Frisks-and-diagnosis","Level of risk, Fetal Valproate Syndrome, and assessment",{"label":42,"to":43,"description":44},"Neurodevelopmental","\u002Fabout-facs\u002Fneurodevelopmental","Development, learning, communication, and behaviour",{"label":46,"to":47,"feature":48},"OACS Art Gallery","\u002Fart-gallery",{"title":46,"description":49,"ctaLabel":50,"to":47},"Creative work from children and adults across our community — celebrating every piece.","View the gallery",{"label":52,"to":25,"feature":53},"OACS Ireland",{"title":52,"description":54,"ctaLabel":55,"to":25},"Support, resources, and community for families affected by F.A.C.S across Ireland.","Visit OACS Ireland",{"label":57,"feature":58,"children":63},"About Us",{"title":59,"description":60,"ctaLabel":61,"to":62},"Meet the team","The people and aims behind OACS, working for recognition and support.","About OACS","\u002Fabout-us",[64,67,71,75],{"label":65,"to":62,"description":66},"Aims and Objectives","What we stand for",{"label":68,"to":69,"description":70},"Jo Cozens","\u002Fabout-us#jo-cozens","OACS Chairperson",{"label":72,"to":73,"description":74},"Karen Keely","\u002Fabout-us#karen-keely","OACS Trustee & Irish Liaison Officer",{"label":76,"to":77,"description":78},"Carol Lapidge","\u002Fabout-us#carol-lapidge","Support Trustee",{"label":80,"to":81,"feature":82},"News & Resources","\u002Fnews-resources",{"title":80,"description":83,"ctaLabel":84,"to":81},"Advocacy updates, the Sodium Valproate Inquiry, and resources for families and professionals.","Browse news & resources",{"label":86,"to":87},"Donate","\u002Fdonate",[89,90,91,92],10,25,50,100,{"title":94,"body":95,"button":96},"Support OACS","Donations help with admin, printing, outreach, and our website — so we can support more families.","Donate with PayPal","site","Tjhbe-BaURt8YEiBHgjLdrZWpDU6MVLCu9yjl7Z2Clo",{"id":100,"title":101,"body":102,"description":228,"disclaimer":229,"email":229,"extension":230,"eyebrow":27,"firstDoNoHarm":229,"heroBadge":229,"heroLead":229,"heroTitle":229,"meta":231,"navigation":232,"path":28,"quickLinks":229,"registerHref":229,"resourceLinks":229,"seo":233,"socials":229,"stem":234,"submitNote":229,"team":229,"valproateAlert":229,"website":229,"__hash__":235},"pages\u002Fabout-facs.md","What is F.A.C.S",{"type":103,"value":104,"toc":219},"minimark",[105,110,118,121,125,132,139,148,152,155,195,199,206,210,213,216],[106,107,109],"h2",{"id":108},"the-problem","The Problem",[111,112,113,114,117],"p",{},"Fetal Anti-Convulsant Syndrome occurs when anti-convulsant medicine (also known as Anti-Epileptic Drugs, or AEDs) taken during pregnancy affects the developing baby. The level of risk depends on the specific drug and dose — this is covered on the ",[115,116,38],"a",{"href":39}," page.",[111,119,120],{},"Fetal anticonvulsant syndrome(s) are\u002Fis not a 'genetic' condition in the usual sense, but current opinion is that the way these drugs are metabolised by some pregnant women, and\u002For their affected children, predisposes the unborn baby to damage.",[106,122,124],{"id":123},"fetal-valproate-spectrum-disorder-fvsd","Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder (FVSD)",[111,126,127,128,131],{},"Where the medicine involved is sodium valproate, the condition is now often called ",[129,130,124],"strong",{},". FVSD describes the range of physical, sensory, social, and cognitive differences that someone may have if they were exposed to sodium valproate in the womb.",[111,133,134,135,138],{},"The type and level of differences vary from person to person, and can be influenced by the amount of medication taken during pregnancy, the stage of pregnancy when exposure occurred, genetic background, and other health conditions. Every person with FVSD has their own individual strengths and support needs, and ",[129,136,137],{},"care should always be tailored to the person",".",[111,140,141,142,144,145,138],{},"There is no single test for FVSD — it is diagnosed by a team of specialists, and effects on learning and behaviour are described separately. See ",[115,143,38],{"href":39}," and ",[115,146,147],{"href":43},"Neurodevelopmental effects",[106,149,151],{"id":150},"characteristics-of-fetal-anti-convulsant-syndrome","Characteristics of Fetal Anti-Convulsant Syndrome",[111,153,154],{},"Some characteristics of foetal anticonvulsant syndrome involve the following areas:",[156,157,158,162,165,168,171,174,177,180,183,186,189,192],"ul",{},[159,160,161],"li",{},"Spina bifida",[159,163,164],{},"Cleft lip and palate",[159,166,167],{},"Facial and skull",[159,169,170],{},"Limb defects",[159,172,173],{},"Ear malformations",[159,175,176],{},"Skeletal malformation",[159,178,179],{},"Heart, kidney, urinary tract, and sexual organ malformations",[159,181,182],{},"Distinctive facial features",[159,184,185],{},"Growth and general health",[159,187,188],{},"Joint hypermobility",[159,190,191],{},"Genitourinary defects",[159,193,194],{},"Low muscle tone",[106,196,198],{"id":197},"important","Important",[111,200,201,202,205],{},"Please remember there is ",[129,203,204],{},"NO SAFE"," dose-effect of Epilim (Valproate) in pregnancy.",[106,207,209],{"id":208},"some-history","Some history",[111,211,212],{},"Epilim (Sodium Valproate) has a history of adverse developmental effects. The drug is unusual in that its teratogenicity in humans was predicted from animal studies, without any knowledge of mechanism (Brown et al., 1980; Kao et al., 1981).",[111,214,215],{},"Valproic acid, first marketed in Europe in 1967, appeared to be without adversity to development over the initial 13 years following marketing. Then, in the early 1980s, Dalens and her associates made the initial association of VPA to birth defects (Dalens et al., 1980; Dalens, 1981). They reported an infant who died at 19 days of age, was growth retarded, and who had multiple malformations of the face and brain, heart, and skeleton, among other defects. The mother of the infant had taken 1000mg\u002Fday of VPA throughout gestation. These observations were followed by several case reports and other publications attesting to the malformation effects of the drug when administered to a pregnant mother during gestation.",[111,217,218],{},"OACS is a registered charity and, as such, any data you provide us with will be treated with strict confidentiality.",{"title":220,"searchDepth":221,"depth":221,"links":222},"",2,[223,224,225,226,227],{"id":108,"depth":221,"text":109},{"id":123,"depth":221,"text":124},{"id":150,"depth":221,"text":151},{"id":197,"depth":221,"text":198},{"id":208,"depth":221,"text":209},"Fetal Anti-Convulsant Syndrome is caused when a mother uses anti-convulsant medication during pregnancy (also known as Anti-Epileptic Drugs, or AEDs). AEDs are not only used to treat epilepsy but are also used to treat pain, migraine, bi-polar and other mental health conditions.",null,"md",{},true,{"title":101,"description":228},"about-facs","tdz_Uy0vwrLFncAr3H1heSFpo4Lrr4vjr27cDxSXTg4",1780613212061]