'Mothers in mind': information for health care professionals

Information for health care professionals

January 2006

As part of Epilepsy Action’s 'Mothers in mind' campaign, we are delighted to make available two publications, one for clinicians and one for patients. These have been specifically designed as a practical tool which we hope will help you support your female patients with epilepsy. Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological disorder. Although epilepsy affects both genders equally, women with epilepsy have particular treatment needs. For example, the recently published research findings from the UK Epilepsy Pregnancy Register highlight the need for more specific pre-conceptual counselling for women with epilepsy.

The NICE and SIGN guidelines have provided a structure for management of people with epilepsy, which includes addressing issues specific to women, such as contraception and pregnancy.

The new NSF for long-term conditions has set out 11 quality requirements to improve the care of all people living with long-term conditions. Although the NSF does not address individual neurological conditions separately, epilepsy is given as an example of an ‘intermittent and unpredictable’ long-term neurological condition.

Quality Requirement One of the NSF focuses on providing a ‘person-centred’ service: a service where patients are given the information they need to make informed decisions about their care and treatment so they can be supported to help manage their condition themselves, where appropriate.

To help ensure that women are receiving the most appropriate information about health issues in relation to epilepsy and pregnancy, the Epilepsy Action 'Mothers in mind' campaign is being launched this month.

• Information for health professionals [3MB PDF]
• Patients' booklet [2.4MB PDF]
• The UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register