Introduction
If you have epilepsy, it means that you sometimes have seizures. Anybody can develop epilepsy, but some people have a higher risk of developing epilepsy than others.
Epilepsy is a very complex condition and there are many different types. There are also many different reasons why people develop it.
- Some people are born with epilepsy. It is thought that between two and five in every 100 children born to parents with epilepsy will inherit epilepsy.
- Some people have epilepsy that is caused by brain damage, which can be caused by a number of things. These include a difficult birth, a brain infection (such as meningitis), a stroke or a serious brain injury. Not everybody who has brain damage develops epilepsy.
- For around six out of 10 people with epilepsy, there is no obvious reason why they have developed the condition.
Reasons why you might inherit epilepsy
A certain type of epilepsy might run in your family.
Certain types of epilepsy seem to run in families. These could include childhood absence epilepsy, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, photosensitive epilepsy or febrile seizures. However, it is more common for families to have different types of epilepsy in them.
More information about different types of epilepsy is available from Epilepsy Action.
You might inherit a low seizure threshold.
We all have something called a seizure threshold in our brain. People with a low seizure threshold are more likely to have seizures than people with a high seizure threshold. Low seizure thresholds may be inherited.
If you have epilepsy and your doctors have not found a cause for it, you may have inherited a low seizure threshold.
If you have brain damage, you have a higher risk of developing epilepsy if there is a history of epilepsy in your family. This is because you may have inherited a low seizure threshold.
You might inherit another medical condition that causes epilepsy
Two to three in every 100 people with epilepsy have epilepsy because they have inherited a different medical condition that also causes epilepsy. For example, tuberous sclerosis is a rare condition that is inherited. It causes benign (non-cancerous) tumours to develop in different parts of the body. It can cause other health conditions, including epilepsy, learning disabilities and autism.
More information about tuberous sclerosis is available from the Tuberous Sclerosis Association.
Tel: 01332 290 734
Website: tuberous-sclerosis.org
The risks of inheriting epilepsy
Each type of epilepsy has a different level of risk for being inherited. However, even with the types of epilepsy that are most likely to be inherited, the risk that a child will inherit it is thought to be less than 15 in every 100.
Here is some information about the risks of a child developing epilepsy, when other family members have epilepsy.
|
Person in the family with epilepsy |
Mother |
Father |
Mother and father |
Other family members |
|
Risk of child developing epilepsy |
Higher than for any child in the general population. |
Only slightly higher than for any child in the general population. |
Higher than if just the mother has epilepsy. But even then it is more likely the child will not develop epilepsy. The risk of inheriting epilepsy is higher if the parents are related to each other (first cousins or a closer relation). |
The more people with epilepsy there are in a family the higher is the risk that the child will inherit epilepsy. |
|
Age at which parent developed epilepsy |
Under 20 |
20 - 35 |
Over 35 |
|
Risk of child developing epilepsy |
Higher than for any child in the general population. |
Slightly higher than for any child in the general population. |
No more than for any child in the general population. |
Conclusion
Research into epilepsy and inheritance is being carried out all the time. In recent years, scientists have discovered lots of new information, but there is still a lot to learn.
Here is a summary of our understanding of epilepsy and inheritance.
- The risk that a child will inherit epilepsy depends on:
- the type of epilepsy that is in the family
- which family members have epilepsy
- how old the family members were when they developed it.
- Some types of epilepsy have a higher risk of being inherited than other types.
- Some people don’t inherit epilepsy itself, but they do inherit a low seizure threshold.
- Between two and five in every 100 children born to parents with epilepsy will inherit epilepsy.
If you would like to see this information with references, visit the Advice and Information references section of our website. See Inheritance and epilepsy.
Epilepsy Action would like to thank Dr Rhys Thomas, Clinical Lecturer in Neurology, Morriston Hospital, Swansea, for his contribution to this information.
Dr Rhys Thomas has no conflict of interest to declare.
This information has been produced under the terms of The Information Standard.
-
Updated May 2012To be reviewed May 2014
Comments: read the 14 comments or add yours
Comments
My brother and uncle from my fathers side both have epilepsy, which started for no apparent reason, neither had an injury or anything that could of started it, so does that mean theres a chance any of my children can get it, i have a son and a daughter, my brothers started at 16 and not too sure when my uncle started having seizures.
Hi,
It depends what type of epilepsy your brother had. There’s a very small chance that your children could inherit epilepsy, but we couldn’t tell you how big or small the risk is. Even with the types of epilepsy that are most likely to be inherited, it’s thought that less than 15 in every 100 children who have family members with epilepsy will inherit it. You could talk to your doctor about this. They could refer you for genetic testing if they feel that is appropriate.
Advice and Information Team
My wife family has epilepsy,my wife,her 2 brothers & maternal uncle has grand mal seizures. My wife takes tegretol 800mg per day but she usually gets seizures every 3 months speciallay before or after menstruation.
I have 3 daughters age 20 17 & 9. I am worried if one of them can develop epilepsy? what are the chances of them inheriting it. There is no epilepsy from father's side.
Please advise. Many thanks in advance & God bless!
Hi
Due to the family history of epilepsy, it’s understandable you are concerned for your daughters.
There is a lot to consider when looking into the possibility of inheritance and epilepsy. Ideally, your family will need to be referred to a genetic counselor. You could talk to your family doctor or your wife’s epilepsy specialist regarding the possibility of a referral.
Some things that the genetic counsellor will consider are the types of seizures the person with epilepsy has, how old they were when they developed epilepsy and whether there was a known cause for them to develop epilepsy. They will also look into who in the family has epilepsy. Depending on which relatives have epilepsy can have some influence on the inheritance possibility. Here’s a direct link to information on our website which explains this further.
I hope this is of help.
Regards
Diane
Advice and Information Team.
My eldest daughter had her first grand mal seizure when she just turned 30, for no reason. She has had 3 since and is on medication. My other daughter started having 'fade out' seizures when she just turned 30 earlier this year. She also is having medication, but although she has had dozens they are by no means as bad as her sisters. Last night, my brother who is 52 had a grand mal seizure, again for no apparent reason. There is no history of epilepsy at all in our family and I just find it astonishing that three close members of my family have developed this within 2 years. The doctors don't seem remotely interested in this coincidence but I feel it is extraordinary and would appreciate any feedback . By the way I live in swansea, my eldest daughter in London, youngest in swansea and my brother in Cardiff, although I know this is not relevant. There is another brother with 4 boys and my brother has 2 adult children, and I have a grandson, so we are obviously worried and I can't help feeling that it is more than a coincidence. Thank you for reading this.
Hi
This must be worrying for your and your family. But the chances are, the epilepsy is coincidental. There are lots of different types of epilepsy, and it sounds like your two daughters are having different types of seizures. This may mean they may each have a different type of epilepsy. Your brother’s seizure could be very different again, depending on what, if anything, caused it. As he has so far only had one seizure, that is unlikely to be classed as epilepsy. Your daughters could ask their doctors for the particular name of their epilepsy to see if they both have the same type. If they do, then It might be possible to ask for some genetic testing, as mentioned in our inheritance information.
Neither my mum or dad (and their families) have epilepsy but I do (Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy) is this rare or does it sometimes happen ?
Hi Louise
It does sometimes happen that someone is diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) but their immediate family doesn’t have epilepsy. It may be that someone in your family history had JME, as research suggests it has a genetic component. Therefore, if it’s in your genes you would be more likely to develop JME than people in general.
Rosanna
Epilepsy Action Advice and Information Team
Hi, I wonder if you could help. I have suffered with idiopathic cryptogenic focal epilepsy since I was 19. Up until Dec 2010 I'd only really experienced tonic-clonic seizures every 3ish years. Since Dec 2010 my seizures increased and a further eeg showed my epilepsy had become generalised. I experience occasional absences too. My seizures are proving hard to control, even though I have tried varying epilepsy medication. I think my epilepsy is genetic on my father's side. I'm worried because my father's mother, brother and sister both had epilepsy (I don't know what type or when they started as my father has been estranged from his family since he was 17 years old). His brothers son was only 3 years old when he died 10 years ago in a seizure. My father's sister who was 63 was buried 3 weeks ago, she suffered a heart attack within a seizure. One of her daughter's, my 1st cousin also has seizures. It is making me really anxious. I wondered if genetic counselling could help (I have 3 children) but I don't know if I can find out much information about the health of my family because of the estrangement. I was under Dr Rhys Thomas's care at the Heath hospital with Professor Smith before I moved to Nottinghamshire in Feb 2012.
Thank you for listening
Hi Amanda
I’m sorry to hear that your seizures are increasing in number. You mentioned the specialists that you used to see before moving, but didn’t say if you have been referred to another epilepsy specialist. If you don’t have an epilepsy specialist now, you could ask your GP for a possible referral to one. There are some epilepsy services in Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham and King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton in Ashfield.
You are obviously very worried about you and your family and if there is a high genetic risk of epilepsy. So, there’s no reason why you can’t ask your GP, or epilepsy specialist, if you can have some genetic counselling for your family.
It is a worry when there has been a death due to epilepsy and you have epilepsy yourself. However, treatment for epilepsy is improving all the time. Each decade sees more research into epilepsy deaths, so it’s more understood. There are also more treatments available for epilepsy to give a greater chance of seizure control. We have some information on sudden death in epilepsy (SUDEP) that also gives some guidance on how to reduce the risks.
I hope this helps.
Rosanna
Advice and Information Team
Well gotta say im feeling extremely awkward for doing this but here goes... My grandmother from my father's side has epilepsy for unknown reasons, her children (my uncle, my aunt and my father) all have been born healthy and most of their own children too (me and my cousins seem ok). All good so far except for my younger sister... She always had learning difficulties (no autism) and in the age of 7 she had her first seizure... While my parents have done everything in their power to treat her they have only managed to suppress the phenomenon with some weird medicines she takes on every day basis. As for me im 20 and so far i never experienced learning difficulties or any of that weird stuff and i suppose i have dodged the bullet BUT, i am now worried about the next generation. With this curse running on the family i wonder how my own kids will turn out if i ever become a father... I am "secretly" depressed over it (haven't told a living soul up until now), whenever i have relationships i avoid saying a word about my family i don't know what reactions to expect and i cower behind silence... So what are the chances of me continuing the tradition?
Hi. Sorry to hear you’ve been worrying about this. But at least you’ve asked the question now.
Inheriting epilepsy only happens in very particular circumstances. The information on our web pages explains what these are.
When someone has a learning disability and epilepsy, it may be because of something structural in the brain. In this situation it may well not be inherited.
Epilepsy is a very common neurological condition. About 600,000 people in the UK have it. And it is totally possible for someone to get to the right dose of the right epilepsy medicine and become seizure free.
I do hope this information offers you some reassurance.
Cherry
Advice and Information team
I am currently 31 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child but my first to my husband who has JME seizures. He has had epilepsy since the age of 16 and started for no reason, when he got older they stopped and he came off Epilim altogether. Three years ago it started again and he is now back on Epilim on a 1500mg dose, he has 2 older kids in their 20's and they don't have it and their children as of yet show no signs of it, I'm worried that our baby may be the one that will get it is there a test we can have done to see if she is at risk or not as m husband is really wrried as he hides his epilepsy from people he is the only one in his family who has it and no one in family history had it either.
Dear Natasha
Thank you for your question.
There are no tests to see if a child will develop epilepsy. As our information states, when it’s the father that has epilepsy, there is only a slightly higher chance of inheritance than for any child in the general population. You could discuss your concerns with your husband’s epilepsy specialist or your family doctor.
Diane Wallace
Advice and Information Team