is epilepsy hereditary?

My dad has been diagnosed with temperal lobe epilepsy all his life.Although he has been recently told that they are not sure if he has it, but he still takes medication. I am 28 and shown no signs of epilepsy but I have a 9 mnt old daughter and am terrified that she may have it.Should I mention it to my doctor? She has a slight protruding bone at the front of her head between her eyes, doc says its nothing to worry about could it be connected?

Thanks Rosellie.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

The hereditary nature of temporal lobe epilepsy is not clear. Some do believe the TLE is hereditary. There are two types of TLE, the Mesial TLE and the Lateral TLE. The former is more frequently associated with a hereditary pattern. And the lateral TLE is rarely hereditary (Autosomal dominant LTLE).

In short, you can keep this factor in mind. But if your daughter does not have any neurological symptoms, you should not worry too much. If she has any symptoms, an EEG can be taken. (just to rule out any seizure activity in the brain).

Regards