Its a misconception that women with epilepsy have difficulties conceiving, having healthy babies and that epilepsy worsens during pregnancy. File Photo: K.R. Deepak
Being a woman and an epileptic is not easy in our country. But take away the myths and the woman can have a normal healthy family life says Dr.Sanjeev V. Thomas
Go girl go. Live life to the fullest in spite of epilepsy. That is what Dr.Sanjeev V. Thomas and his team of doctors at Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology have been propounding. He is responsible for founding the Kerala Registry for Epilepsy and Pregnancy in 1998. One of just five Registries in the world, KREP treats women with epilepsy and related issues. One of the most important conclusions this body of research has reached is that a woman (or man) with epilepsy can live a full and satisfying life.
Dr. Thomas, who is currently the Secretary of the Indian Academy of Neurology (IAN) had positive words for patients at the 13th Annual Conference of the Indian Epilepsy Association and The Indian Epilepsy Society, in Kochi. There are no gender differences in how epilepsy manifests in men and women, but women with epilepsy certainly face more problems in Indian society than men.
Gender bias
This is because as a society we have consciously made a gender bias regarding the disease, says the doctor stating that myths and misconceptions about the disease abound. These are used as bargaining tools in marriage alliances.
A diagnosis of epilepsy can impact all aspects of life. To begin with, parents of girls with epilepsy are sometimes hesitant to continue sending them to school for fear of disclosure. This limits their employment opportunities and social participation.
When it comes to marriage there are other concerns. Most young women and their families fear negative responses to the disclosure of epilepsy, particularly during marriage negotiations. As a result, many choose to conceal their condition to improve their marital prospects. And more than 95 percent conceal their epilepsy from others in their social network, says sociologist Aparna Nair, who has been working on stigma and discrimination among women with epilepsy. The study suggests that such secrecy and concealment can have negative effects social, psychological and physical effects which in turn can increase the chances of a seizure.
Although most people are aware that epilepsy is a medically treatable condition, many misconceptions still thrive.
A common belief is that women with epilepsy have difficulties conceiving, having healthy babies, raising children and that epilepsy worsens during pregnancy. This is a misconception, reports Dr Thomas, saying that epilepsy worsens only in 30 per cent of the cases. By and large infertility is not an issue. Dr Thomas' work reveals that 90 -93 per cent of babies born to women with epilepsy are healthy with only 7 per cent with the risk of birth defects. Another common belief is that anti-epileptic drug is passed on to the child during breastfeeding and hence breastfeeding is dissuaded by ignorant family members. In reality only trace elements of the drugs are passed on to the child. The drug can be safely taken after nursing and a two-hour gap between the dose and nursing is adequate protection.
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Live a happy life with epilepsy