Treatment of Infantile Spasms with Sodium Dipropylacetic Acid

Abstract

Infants (18) with infantile spasms were given sodium dipropylacetate at a dosage of 20 mg/kg per day. They were clinically examined before treatment and again after 1-3 yr of therapy. The short-term clinical response was excellent in 4 patients, good in 8, poor in 4 and there was no change in 2. At follow-up, 2 patients were clinically normal but 10 had severe and 6 had moderate mental retardation. Seven patients still had residual seizures. Since these results do not differ significantly from those obtained with hormonal treatment, using sodium dipropylacetate (which has less frequent and less severe side-effects than adreno-corticotropic hormone) as the only initial drug and using hormonal treatment only in unresponsive patients are suggested.