|
|
Few other joys equal those of parenthood, and epilepsy should not be viewed as a restriction on becoming a parent. Early in the 20th century, many states had laws against marriage and parenthood for persons with epilepsy, but all these prohibitions have been repealed. There are no legal barriers between epilepsy and parenthood, except for those associated with custody suits.
Parenthood is not for every person or couple, however. Becoming a parent is a major commitment of time and resources. The responsibility of caring for a child is difficult to understand before the child is born. A baby is completely dependent on its parents or caregivers for food, clothing, diaper changing, and protection. Caring for a child can be as frustrating as it is joyful.
Caring for a baby or child means loss of freedom and personal time, as well as a new sense of responsibility. The maternal and paternal instincts are strong. After having made it through the potential hazards of a pregnancy with epilepsy, the parents may sigh with relief, feeling that the dangers of epilepsy have passed. Persons with well-controlled epilepsy have no restrictions on child care, but those with episodes of impaired consciousness or control of movement must take special precautions when caring for a baby or a young child. The precautions will depend on the child's age, its nature, and other circumstances.
If at all possible, a parent with uncontrolled seizures should not bathe the baby alone. The baby should be placed in a safely designed baby bath and transferred to and from the bath relatively close to the floor. If the baby bath is placed inside a larger tub, the drain should be open. The room where the bath is given should be carpeted if possible. The parent should always heed an aura, or warning, of a seizure while bathing the baby.
A parent with uncontrolled seizures should be extremely careful when carrying the baby. That is not to say that persons with epilepsy should not carry a baby, but care must be exercised. Some get enough warning of a seizure that they have time to place the baby in a safe place. Others have no warning, and must be especially careful when caring for a baby. Breast-feeding and diaper changing by women who are at risk of having a seizure are best done on the floor or on a low, soft surface where the baby would be safe from falling.
The baby or young child of a parent who has epilepsy is better off sleeping in its own crib or bed. There is a chance the child could be injured if the parent had a seizure, especially a tonic-clonic seizure, while sleeping.
As the baby becomes a toddler, other potential dangers confront a parent whose seizures are not fully controlled. For example, walking or playing near a busy street with an impulsive, active 2-year-old could be potentially dangerous if the parent had a complex partial seizure. During the minute or two of the parent's impaired consciousness, the child's ball could bounce into the street and the child might run after it. Although events such as this are rare, it is worthwhile to consider ways of reducing the risk. In this case, the child might be given another toy that is less likely to bounce into the street, or the child's hand and the parent's hand might be linked by a colorful plastic coil that will keep them close together.
If a parent's seizures are not fully controlled, the disorder should be discussed with older children. Children understand more than adults give them credit for, and they may be aware of the seizures and frightened by them. Explaining to the children what a seizure is, why the parent takes medication, and why the children should not worry is comforting to them. As the children get older, they should be told more about epilepsy and what to do if first aid is needed.
Missed medications, sleep deprivation, and stress can aggravate seizures. For new parents, some sleep deprivation and stress are unavoidable, and dramatic changes in the daily schedule can easily lead to missed medications. It is important to recognize these potential problems and plan to reduce their impact. A mother with epilepsy who chooses to breastfeed, for example, might want to use a formula supplement so that she can sleep while her husband or another person feeds the baby during the night. Caring for a baby is stressful and exhausting, and enlisting family members or others to help is a good idea.
Breast feeding is recommended for most women with epilepsy, because breast milk confers a variety of benefits to the baby, including protection against infection. However, the benefits of breastfeeding must be weighed against the risks when the mother takes antiepileptic drugs.
The table below shows the approximate percentages of the mother's blood drug level found in breast milk. The amount of drug found in breast milk is related to the proportion of the drug that is not bound to proteins. The more a drug is bound to proteins in the blood, the lower the amount that is free and the lower the amount found in breast milk.
Antiepileptic Drug |
% in Breast Milk |
| Phenytoin | 30 |
| Valproate | 10 |
| Carbamazepine Phenobarbital Zonisamide |
50 |
| Lamotrigine | 65 |
| Primidone | 80 |
| Ethosuximide Gabapentin Levetiracetam |
90 |
Phenobarbital and primidone, both barbiturates, cause the most problems with breastfeeding. The baby's digestive system is particularly good at absorbing these drugs, and they linger for an unusually long time in the baby's blood. A single dose of phenobarbital may last more than 15 days. Because of the high amount of ethosuximide, gabapentin, and levetiracetam found in breast milk, these may also cause problems. The antiepileptic drugs in babies who are breastfed may cause fussy feeding habits, sleepiness, and irritability. Some irritability and gas pains are normal, however, and should not be interpreted as medication effects. The mother should contact the pediatrician if she has any doubts.
If a breastfeeding woman takes two antiepileptic drugs, or takes barbiturates or ethosuximide, the baby should be watched closely for signs of adverse reactions to the drugs. The baby of a woman who breast-feeds and then stops taking a barbiturate should be observed for signs of drug withdrawal such as increased irritability, insomnia, or sweating. If these signs are observed, the pediatrician should be contacted.
Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 12/15/06
Welcome to the Wiki. This space is created for epilepsy.com members to share their own experiences and expertise to help refine and expand the discussion around important topics.
No members have yet contributed to this topic. If you are not yet an epilepsy.com member, register today to get started on this Wiki topic and the many other advantages of being a member. If you are a member and wish to be the first to edit this Wiki topic, please make sure to login, then click on the orange "Start Wiki" button at the top of this page. Or, learn more about Wikis.
Children with epilepsy have a higher rate of learning disorders than the general public. However, most children with epilepsy don't have learning problems.
More FAQs
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Temporal lobe surgery | Aug 16, 2009 | |
| a_mkelly2000 | ||
| Positive Stories Only | Jul 27, 2009 | |
| onemarvy | ||
| Depakote, Behaviors, and personality | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| nytasha | ||
| 4yr. complex febrile but just had 2 seizures w/out fever please help! | Jul 26, 2009 | |
| krisnichole | ||
| Is anyone else like this? help! | Sep 20, 2009 | |
| Newyorkcita | ||
| School problems | Aug 10, 2009 | |
| 4Jordie | ||
| Has anyone tried Magnesium to stop seizures | Aug 12, 2009 | |
| loristewart | ||
| My Story | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| emirahs | ||
| My child was diagnoised with Occipital Epilepsy | Jul 29, 2009 | |
| 4Jordie | ||
| Putting a Human Face on Epilepsy | Jul 28, 2009 | |
| quix | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Lamictal vs. Keppra long term effects | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| mema | ||
| Topamax Side Effects | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| Black.Pearl | ||
| Ramping up on Lamictal - advice needed | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| mac3mpc | ||
| Switching to Topamax from Depakote ER.. Advice? | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| jessicarenee | ||
| just diagnosed today | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| heidibo | ||
| Surgery is the way to go! Slowly but surely recovering! | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| mark_88 | ||
| A Scary Doctor | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| snoodle | ||
| 12 year old with complex febrile seizures | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| lesevonnne | ||
| Simple Partials Seizures-What Are Yours Like & Duration? | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| Maria7 | ||
| Might Calcium Disorders Cause Seizures? | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| Nerak95 | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,421 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 18,946 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 18,834 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,714 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | 15,207 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 13,076 | |
| George R | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 12,888 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 11,355 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised | 10,009 | |
| spiz | ||
| electrical shock in head? | 9,420 | |
| Maggie | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Bonnie's Blog | Sep 4, 2009 | |
| manzolini@comcast.net | ||
| Bonnie's Blog | Sep 4, 2009 | |
| manzolini@comcast.net | ||
| Baby Chloe's/ Mommy's Bad Day (absence seizure?) | Sep 10, 2009 | |
| 2 seizure infants | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Frustrated and Confused | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| KrayonsRmine | ||
| Need help and guidance | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| djvanks | ||
| Cancer and Epilepsy | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| horseman | ||
| Heck of a day | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| 4mygirl2 | ||
| The Last Voice | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| cindy thacher | ||
| Ugg boots | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| shirts | ||
| UGG lays its charm | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| shirts | ||
| UGG lays its charm | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| shirts | ||
| 29 years old, had seizures since I was 8. | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| dkalra | ||
| Stroll for Epilepsy Awareness | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| bookworm03 | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts | 8,002 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| my partial complex seizures | 3,856 | |
| Zanna1211 | ||
| Topomax... The Dreaded......... | 3,647 | |
| Dr Jason | ||
| Brain Zaps, tics & twitches | 3,463 | |
| JudiS | ||
| side effects of phenobarb. | 3,061 | |
| pksmom | ||
| Feeling Sick | 2,890 | |
| JBJ1984 | ||
| How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens? | 2,853 | |
| epl_controller | ||
| Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds | 2,790 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | 2,699 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures" | 2,591 | |
| teft | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Project Uplift | Nov 4, 2009 | |
| tamliniscute | ||
| SEIZURE FREE | Nov 3, 2009 | |
| gracie9933 | ||
| EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA | Oct 9, 2009 | |
| Roxanne D | ||
| Community Feedback on Proposed New epilepsy.com Feature | Sep 30, 2009 | |
| kdredske | ||
| Parent with Child with Epilepsy,Dystonia, and Autism | Sep 24, 2009 | |
| TashaCole | ||
| RX outreach Program | Sep 22, 2009 | |
| mw | ||
| Fun and Games | Sep 22, 2009 | |
| phylisfjohnson | ||
| Epilepsy and Memory Loss?? | Sep 17, 2009 | |
| lindseygthatsme | ||
| Epileptic Postictal Psychosis | Sep 14, 2009 | |
| Bravedefender | ||
| Northern California Volunteers | Sep 11, 2009 | |
| cannemo73 | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Trouble Waters | Sep 3, 2009 | |
| noels mummy | ||
| a mom's worry | Oct 15, 2009 | |
| terrimarie | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| My Mother suffers from absence seizures | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| baubua24 | ||
| My Meningioma Story | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| Maria7 | ||
| My First time | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| SteveDaw | ||
| My Epilepsy | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| amberbrady5384 | ||
| The crazy spiritual journey that is a seizure. | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| zeus1223 | ||
| 29 years old; epilepsy since I was 8. | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| dkalra | ||
| my experience with epilepsy | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| Sabia | ||
| Family with Epilepsy | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| thunley | ||
| My Story Of How I Was Diagnosed With Epilepsy. | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| bass_babyx | ||
| Lorrelei71 | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| Lorrelei71 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Roiz | 2,274 | |
| kroiz | ||
| (TLE) seizures, most misunderstood condition | 862 | |
| wenko | ||
| my story | 468 | |
| snoby | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 437 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 416 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 394 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 377 | |
| javaman | ||
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 330 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| Life......... | 329 | |
| dizzygal | ||
| Crystal's story | 326 | |
| Crystal11 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
