Epilepsy/brain damage

    
      Re: Epilepsy/brain damage
    


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Posted by CCF Neuro MD on April 08, 1997 at 08:17:29:

In Reply to: Epilepsy/brain damage posted by C. Cooke on April 08, 1997 at 08:16:09:

: This Message was posted by: C Cooke -  3/30/97 7:34:42 AM
  Message:
  My partner's son now age 16 has epilepsy resulting from cysts of the left rear part of the brain which were present at birth.
  I would very much like to know whether thjere is any way that a cause fro such cysts can be identitified. His mother has had
  16 yuears of guilt believing that she must have done sonmething in pregnancy to cause the cysts. I cannot ask the Neuros
  because she would not wanty me to. But if I can find out and relieve her mind otherwise, this woill be a big help.
  regards
=====================================================
Cysts such as the ones you describe are often nonspecific manifestations of prenatal injury and unfortunately are not specific
for any given cause. They are linked only to the time period during which the injury to the brain of the developing child occurs,
and represent the brain's nonspecific, primitive injury response to the particular insult. Various infections that are transmissible
to the developing child through the maternal placenta are one means of such injuries, as well as a host of other genetic and
environmental factors, many of which remain unknown. Often children who have epilepsy related to such cysts--- and, more
importantly, to the underlying cause that damaged the area of the brain that is now cystic, are very difficult to treat. Depending
on the location of the cysts and whether or not generalized brain injury of a microscopic nature occurred in addition to the
cysts, a selected group of such children may be candidates for epilepsy surgery if the source of their seizures is a particular
restricted area of the brain versus from many parts of the brain, in which case medictaions or the ketogenic diet are the only
real treatment options. As to whether or not your partner "caused" the cysts by doing something "wrong" during the pregnancy,
this is impossible to know. If she abused drugs, alcohol, or contracted an infectious illness transmitted to her son during the
pregnancy, she may have "caused" the cysts. Barring something obvious like this, however, it would be difficult to ascribe any
"blame" to her. It is far more often the case that such injuries arise from things no one can predict or control. Either way, it
sound as of your friend is coping with the issue in a very unhealthy manner. Bashing onesself over something that is done and
unchangable will not improve or change the particular situation. There are numerous epilepsy support groups that exist. The
National Epilepsy Foundation would be a good starting contact if your partner is interested in such. I wish I could provide you
with a
more definite answer to your question, but, unfortunately, without more specific information about the pregnancy and seeing the
cysts (and even probably not then), there is no way to "prove" (or disprove) that she made a "mistake" during her pregnancy.