How To Control Epilepsy And Breastfeeding

In general, the combination of breastfeeding and epilepsy is recommended for all newborns of mothers with this condition. In fact , taking anti-seizure drugs does not lead to any side effects for a baby.

This is a common question among mothers with epilepsy who want to breastfeed their baby and it is something to keep in mind in such cases. Caring for a child also depends on good nutrition as the main growth factor.

Today’s article contains some recommendations that you should keep in mind to minimize possible unwanted effects. Let’s start by stating that epilepsy and breastfeeding are compatible.

Some definitions about epilepsy

Epilepsy is defined as a condition in which a person has seizures as a result of an underlying chronic process in the brain. In addition, this process causes repeated synchronous discharges of neuronal impulses.

Similarly, a seizure is a sudden episode caused by abnormal and excessive discharges or synchronous neuronal brain activity. This will cause an imbalance between arousal and inhibition in the brain.

We must make it clear that the presence of one or more seizures, the cause of which is correctable and avoidable, is not synonymous with epilepsy. As we mentioned before, there is no adjustment for a brain level change when it comes to epilepsy.

There are different types of epilepsy and each has a specific treatment and prognosis. The use of antiepileptic drugs is the most common approach.

Treatments for epilepsy

The treatment of a patient with epilepsy is based on anticonvulsants. As you might expect, this is the most commonly used yardstick in the management of this pathology.

The ideal scenario is to completely prevent or at least minimize the occurrence of seizures without side effects. Doctors prefer to prescribe one drug. We call this the lowest effective dose of monotherapy.

So doctors always start with a single antiepileptic drug and then increase the dose if necessary. Some patients are more resistant to therapy and will need to take more than one drug.

In general, finding the right treatment is an adjustment process that can take a long time to find the most suitable one for someone. Doctors measure and perform dosing studies by taking a patient’s blood to make adjustments.

Breastfeeding and Epilepsy

Breastfeeding and epilepsy are finally compatible. It is important for these mothers to have closer checkups during pregnancy and the postpartum phase.

During pregnancy, they should pay more attention to measurements of antiepileptic drugs in the blood. This is because pregnancy can reduce the medication that is distributed throughout the body.

Seizures would thus pose an additional risk to a pregnant woman. For these reasons, it may be necessary to increase the dosage during these stages. Once a woman has given birth, there are certain things to consider in order to change the treatment and to care for her baby during the lactation phase:

• The dose of antiepileptic drugs must be adjusted, doctors usually lower it.
• As a result of poor sleep, seizures can occur. Doctors advise a mother to get enough sleep to avoid this trigger factor.
• Women should avoid sleeping with a baby and never wash them alone.

As we mentioned above, there are no contraindications to breastfeeding if you have epilepsy. Rather, doctors advise doing this as much as possible for at least six months and then continuing it as a supplement to a baby’s diet for another two years.

Medication for epilepsy and breastfeeding

Some drugs are compatible with breastfeeding, others are not. Medical advice is a must here. There is a long list of different anticonvulsants that a person can take on a regular basis. They are absorbed in a woman’s breast milk in varying amounts.

Despite this , there are no recorded adverse effects in newborns whose mothers are on anti-epileptic medication. Some of them do not significantly penetrate breast milk and others do.

These kinds of differences are taken into account in the choice of the neurologist regarding the antiepileptic drugs he prescribes. Moreover, a mother should not skip them. This should not be done even if she has to divide the daily dose or feed the baby a few hours after taking the medicine.

Is medication safe for the baby?

A newborn may be sleepy and have trouble eating or be irritable if the medication passes into breast milk. For this reason, the mother must strictly control the dosage based on her blood levels.

Finally, let’s emphasize the importance of close monitoring by a neurologist during pregnancy and breastfeeding to take good care of the health of the newborn and their mother.

Only a doctor can tell you how to use medication and when to stop treatment, if any.