Fetal exposure to sodium valproate associated with Baller-Gerold syndrome: case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Case report: We report three patients with a history of maternal valproate use during pregnancy who presented with a combination of metopic suture synostosis and upper limb malformations, which could be diagnosed as Baller-Gerold syndrome (BGS). the patients underwent surgical treatment for the craniofacial deformity, during which standard frontocranial reconstruction was performed. Review of the literature: Only 32 patients have been reported in the world literature and these cases support the emerging view that BGS is not a distinct syndrome, but should instead be considered to be an heterogeneous phenotype with variable etiology. Conclusions: Our case series suggests for the first time that fetal sodium valproate exposure may also cause this phenotype.