Inheriting epilepsy

Many parents with epilepsy worry that their children may inherit their epilepsy. However, fewer than one child in every 10 born to a parent with epilepsy will develop epilepsy.

There are three different ways in which epilepsy can be inherited.

• A person’s low epileptic seizure threshold may be passed to the next generation through the genes.
• Some types of epilepsy seem to run in families. These include benign rolandic epilepsy, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and a rare type of temporal lobe epilepsy.
• Epilepsy can be one of the symptoms of another inherited medical condition, for example tuberous sclerosis.

If you are worried that your child may inherit your epilepsy, speak to your doctor or epilepsy specialist. They may refer you to a genetic counsellor. A genetic counsellor will ask you which family members have epilepsy, the age at which they developed epilepsy, and their seizure type. They will also look at the results of any tests you have had. They will use this information to work out the risk of your child developing epilepsy.