Question
In my family, there is no history of epilepsy. My father’s aunt had a child with mental illness, and my mother gave birth to three sons, all of whom have epilepsy. My daughter does not have this disease. I got married and had a daughter at the age of 6, and she does not have this disease either. Now I have just given birth to a boy. Will he inherit the disease? It’s not even a month yet. Can I get a test to check for epilepsy?
Answer
Hello! It must be clarified that epilepsy is not inherited genetically, nor is it incurable. There are many different types of epilepsy, with most being acquired later in life. Some cases of epilepsy do have a genetic predisposition, but the genetic nature is not very certain. Clinically, those with a genetic predisposition to epilepsy tend to be easier to treat and have better prognoses. Conversely, epilepsy acquired later in life, such as post-traumatic or post-encephalitis sequelae, can be quite refractory. Unless both partners are epilepsy patients (the risk of their children having epilepsy is 2% to 4%), most epilepsy patients should be able to marry and have children. For more questions, you can consult experts online in a timely manner. Wishing for a speedy recovery.