Epileptic women could also become mothers, say Hyedrabad docs

Hyderabad, Feb 7 : On the eve of the ‘International Epilepsy Day’, which is commemorated on the second Monday of February, the doctors at many leading hospitals in Hyderabad cleared the myths about women and prospective parents suffering from the disease and said that women who are suffering from epilepsy could also embrace motherhood with proper care and medical attention.
Many people assume that women who suffer from seizure attacks cannot conceive or it is, too, risky for them to carry a child in the womb. Due to low awareness, they believe that pregnancy would increase the frequency of seizures in expecting mothers.
According to the doctors, healthcare in India has advanced to a great extent and now it is medically possible to evaluate and map the possibility of a future seizure and prescribe required solutions.
“Pregnancy does not heighten the risk for seizures in women with epilepsy who are carefully monitored by their physicians. The treatment of women with epilepsy requires a balance between maintaining stable control of maternal seizures and the potential adverse effects of some anti-epileptic drugs on the developing foetus. And with the advancements in medical technology, this is possible now and can be done efficiently and effectively,” Kailas Mirche, consultant neurologist, Continental hospitals, told IANS.
“Doctors usually recommend continuing epilepsy medications throughout pregnancy. However, it comes down to the type of medication being prescribed, and this could differ depending on the patient’s history and condition,” said Suma K, consultant neurologist, SLG Hospitals.
She said depending on the patient’s condition, dosage might be adjusted or switched to a new drug but one need not stop medication altogether.