Patient's question:
My brother got a girlfriend and brought her home for all the family members to meet. Everyone was very pleased. They have been together for over a year and are planning to get divorced after the New Year. Later, I accidentally learned from my brother that there is a history of epilepsy in his girlfriend's family. His uncle used to have it, but it hasn't really flared up in the past two years. Now, the biggest concern is whether this disease will affect my brother's descendants in the future.Doctor's answer:
A history of epilepsy may have a hereditary tendency across generations, but it is not 100% hereditary across generations. In rare cases, there may be irregular hereditary interference, which is generally not significant for the majority. The extent of interference is primarily related to the cause of the epilepsy. Among primary epilepsy patients, the incidence rate in relatives is 3%–4%, while among secondary epilepsy patients, it is 0–1%. The closer the blood relationship, the higher the incidence rate. If both parents have epilepsy or one child has already been diagnosed, the incidence rate in the third generation is 20%. Therefore, although primary epilepsy patients can get divorced, they should avoid pregnancy to prevent interference.