In the last decade, iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) have become recognized as the most common preventable cause of mental retardation worldwide. Iodine deficiency interferes severely with prenatal and postnatal growth and neurologic development of individuals. It has condemned tens of millions of children to cretinism—characterized by mental and growth retardation, rigid spastic motor disorde...

Valproate is a known human and animal teratogen that produces neural-tube defects. Valproate is also known to produce fetal death and a variety of fetal deformities. The present study considered the role of val pro ate as a behavioral teratogen in rats. Pregnant rats were administered saline or valproate, or simply handled at 10 days gestation and the offspring tested for a variety of behaviors...