A Moredon mother who was given a controversial epilepsy drug while she was pregnant has said that more people need to be aware of the potential side effects, after her son demonstrated symptoms of a slowed development.

Natasha Mason, 28, who was taken Epilim since she was a child, said her three-year-old son Alfie had shown symptoms after he was born at Great Western Hospital.

Natasha said: “I wasn’t aware until after my pregnancy with my little boy that there were risks, and it could affect the child in the womb. I was taking high doses throughout pregnancy.

“From birth, he had quite a few problems: he wouldn’t suck or take milk, he couldn’t maintain his glucose levels, and he had respiratory problems when he was first born.”

When Alfie was just two days old, the issues were evidently significant, Natasha said: “He was taken away to the Special Care Baby Unit, and he was there for about 2 weeks. He had to be tube fed.”

“He was born at 38 weeks, but hospital staff said that he was acting around about the 32 to 33-week mark."

The symptoms continue today with her son, Natasha said: “He’s very delayed in his development: he’s non-verbal, he’s got severe autism, and he’s also got a chromosome deletion.

“In communication, he’s around about the six- to nine-month range. He didn’t start walking until he was two. In all areas, he is delayed.”

Epilim, which is given as a powerful treatment for epileptic fits, carries a 10 per cent risk of physical abnormalities in unborn babies, but a recent survey showed that 70% of women surveyed were not aware of its potentially harmful effects.

The survey was conducted by three charities: the Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Action and Young Epilepsy.

Natasha, who started taking Epilim when she was around 12 years old, saw the dosage she was taking increased by her GP at the Old Town Surgery.

She says she was not informed that continuing to take it during pregnancy would place her unborn child at risk – in fact, she was more concerned at the impact a seizure could have on the foetus.

After pushing for a second opinion on her son’s condition, Natasha and her husband John were told what they suspected to be the case.

Natasha said: “It took the consultant about a minute and a half to say that he could have foetal valproate syndrome, caused by the valproic acid in the Epilim.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “Although we cannot comment on individual cases, we are always concerned to hear about families who feel they have not experienced high quality care at their GP practice and encourage them to raise these concerns at their practice first and following that they can also contact NHS England’s Complaints Team, who investigate patient complaints individually.”