My best friend just found out that she's pregnant, but she has Epilepsy and can not stop or alter her medication. What can we expect during her pregnancy? Anything out of the "ordinary"? And is epilepsy passed down to children?
2006-06-21 06:24:45 · 3 answers · asked by missladybugnh 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
I have epilepsy, and take Tegretol XR 400 twice a day (total of 800 mg. per day). My doctor put me on a double dose of folic acid, to prevent the formation of a cleft lip, cleft palate, and spinabifida in the baby. Those three things are the most common birth defects of babies who are born to women who take Tegretol. All anti-seizure drugs are different though, so when your friend goes to see her OB/GYN, make SURE she tells him this. All women (should) take folic acid during pregnancy, but with epileptics, doctors usually double the doseage. Also, most doctors don't want to see their patients for their first prenatal visit until about 10 - 12 weeks. Your friend is probaly going to be considered high risk, so tell her to call her OB/GYN NOW to see if he wants her to come in earlier.
I've been pregnant twice, and both times had normal, uncomplicated pregnancies and healthy, good size, normal babies with no problems...mental, physical or otherwise. :)
As for being passed down to children, not necessarily. It depends on how your friend got it. If she inherited it from an epileptic mom or grandfather or what have you, then yes, she could pass it to her children, but it's not guaranteed. In my case, I received a sharp blow to my left temple in gym class years and years ago, and that's why I have a seizure disorder. Nobody in my family is epileptic, so it's impossible for my kids to inherit it from me.
2006-06-21 06:52:16 · answer #1 · answered by brevejunkie 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Epilipsy can be genetic you can request a genetic counselor to give you more details and they can run some test on the mother and father and give you a probabaility if the baby will have epilipsy. Also she will most likely have to stop her medications for a time and just extra care and watchful eyes will help. When she goes in to labor she will most likey given magnesiom sulfate by IV to prevent a seizure during birth and has to be in bed for 24 hours to 48 hours when they stop the drip.
Hope this helps
2006-06-21 13:36:23 · answer #2 · answered by smurfettewv 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Epilepsy is not passed on to children, so my gyno. says. I grew up w/epilepsy and bad epilespsy, grand mal, jackson's, etc. until 22. Now, 27 and "trying". They tell me when I am pregnant everything should be fine, but under closer supervision. Hope this helps sume.
2006-06-21 22:08:09 · answer #3 · answered by maria 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋