Until fairly recently, women with epilepsy were discouraged from having children. Today, according to the Epilepsy Foundation of America®, over 90 percent of women with epilepsy give birth to healthy babies. Nevertheless, there are still some important issues to consider if you suffer from epilepsy and you're thinking of having a baby.
Women with epilepsy experience a higher incidence of some reproductive disorders, such as:
Such disorders can make it more difficult to conceive. Anticonvulsant medications may also be partly responsible for these problems.
Most women do not experience any change in their seizure type or frequency during pregnancy. According to the Epilepsy Foundation of America®, only about 25 to 30 percent of women experience a greater frequency of seizures during pregnancy. This could be the result of changing hormone levels or a reduction in the effectiveness of antiepileptic medication as blood volume increases.
Although the vast majority of women with epilepsy deliver healthy babies, seizures during pregnancy can be hazardous to an unborn child, due to falls and other complications. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures during pregnancy can induce premature labor or a miscarriage, but this is very rare. Seizures during labor are rare, and most women deliver their babies safely.
Most women with epilepsy do not experience any more pregnancy complications than women without epilepsy. Nevertheless, it's important to be aware that the risk of some disorders is higher among women with epilepsy. These include:
While there are concerns associated with any medications taken during pregnancy, the majority of women can continue taking antiepileptic medication throughout their pregnancy with no harm to their babies. The Epilepsy Foundation of America® estimates that only 4 to 8 percent of women who take seizure medication are at risk of giving birth to babies with birth defects (compared to 2 to 3 percent for the general population).
If you're planning to get pregnant, and you have epilepsy, it's important to talk to your doctor. He may want to adjust your medication in preparation for your pregnancy. Aside from any special physician instructions, all the same rules of a healthy pregnancy apply for a woman with epilepsy. These include:
Epilepsy Action Staff. (n.d.). Women. Retrieved March 17, 2010, from http://www.epilepsy.org.au/women2.asp
Epilepsy.com Staff. (n.d.). Pregnancy and motherhood. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www.epilepsy.com/info/women_pregnancy
Epilepsy Ontario Staff. (n.d.). Epilepsy during pregnancy. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www.epilepsyontario.org/client/EO/EOWeb.nsf/web/Pregnancy planning
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2008). Epilepsy and pregnancy: What you need to know. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy/PR00123
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Staff. (n.d.) Seizures and epilepsy: Hope through research. Retrieved March 11, 2010, from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/epilepsy/epilepsy.htm
The Epilepsy Foundation of America® Staff. (n.d.) Parenting concerns for the mother with epilepsy. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/living/women/pregnancy/weiparenting.cfm
The Epilepsy Foundation of America® Staff. (n.d.) Pregnancy and epilepsy medications. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/living/women/pregnancy/weimedications.cfm
The Epilepsy Foundation of America® Staff. (n.d.) Pregnancy issues. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/living/women/pregnancy/weipregnancy.cfm
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