2023-04-23 19:01:09
When facing a pregnancy, all mothers have the same concern: that everything goes well and the baby is safe. There is concern that some of the diseases that the parents have may affect the health of the baby. Epilepsy is one of them.
It is a chronic neurological disease with a continuous predisposition to generate epileptic seizures. Special care must be taken with epilepsy since when it converges with pregnancy, due to the complications that can arise between them, it affects the mother and the fetus.
1% of the world population suffers from epilepsy
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1% of the world population suffers from this pathology. This means that more than 50 million people, with a higher incidence in developing countries and in the male population.
Suffering seizures during pregnancy is detrimental to both the fetus and the mother, since they imply great risks if they are not controlled and can worsen due to an increase in frequency or intensity during that stage and after delivery. Approximately 1/3 of the women who suffer from this pathology experience an increase in the number of crises during pregnancy. This fact can lead to induction of labor, leading to an increased risk of caesarean section.
During pregnancy, some of the consequences that can result from having seizures are the following:
- Less oxygenation of the fetus.
- Decreased fetal heart rate.
- Fetal injury, premature separation of the placenta from the uterus or spontaneous abortion due to trauma.
- Part premature.
Can be controlled with medication
Epilepsy is a disease that can be controlled with medication, and it is important to know how medication can affect your pregnancy. For one, there are some used to treat seizures that can contribute to infertility. However, others can also reduce the effectiveness of the hormonal contraceptive methods that are being administered.
In addition, during pregnancy, taking these drugs can cause side effects in the baby such as cleft palate, neural tube defects, skeletal abnormalities, and congenital heart and urinary tract defects. These side effects will be more likely to occur the higher the dose and if more than one anti-seizure medication is taken at the same time.
It is highly recommended to take the medications with the exact dose written and not readjust it on your own. Uncontrolled seizures pose a greater risk to the baby than any medication. In addition to following the dose set by the doctor, it is important to follow a healthy lifestyle, controlling your diet, taking prenatal vitamins, getting enough sleep, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol use.
Babies born to mothers with this disease do not have to inherit it, but they do have a higher risk of developing seizures as they get older.
#risks #epilepsy #pregnancy