Hi I’m freaking out as I’m the first in my family to be diagnosed with epilepsy and I got diagnosed when I was 12 I’m 21 now and have always wanted to be a mother but had never connected having epilepsy with that thought , if I do have children will my child definitely have epilepsy or not because I don’t want my child to go through what I have gone through and the anxiety that comes with it. Just if anyone has any experience or advice that would be amazing as Iv been very stressed about this.
Hello.
It’s a very important question you ask, and it’s a good thing for you to know.
When it comes to children, whether your child has any chance of epilepsy depends on different factors. If you have epilepsy due to a car crash for example it is very unlikely your child will have epilepsy or carry the trait.
However if you have genetically passed epilepsy your child will inherit an epilepsy trait, this means when the child grows and has a child that child has a chance of having epilepsy. I believe it’s 10-20% chance approximately.
Most people just pass the epilepsy trait down to the next generation rather than have epilepsy themselves.
The more children you have though the more chance of them having epilepsy. But don’t let the epilepsy issue worry you, with or without epilepsy children will be loved.
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Hi Eileen,
I am 34 and I have suffered with epilepsy since I was 2. I am now a mother of 2 children and they are both healthy niether have epilepsy.
Initially I shared the same concerns as you before having children but decided that wouldnt stop be from being a mother.
Even if your child does have epilepsy it doesnt mean they will suffer the way you did and it doesnt mean that they wont lead a happy normal life.
If you really want children I encourage you to do so and not to fear something that hasnt happened yet and may well not happen. My 2 are the best thing that has ever happened to me.