Maternal Stress During Pregnancy Linked to Epilepsy Risk in Children, finds study

This was a retrospective analysis of data from 97,484 children whose mother had psychological distress assessed using the six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). It was administered at two different times during pregnancy:

• M-T1: between 12.3–18.9 weeks (median 15.1 weeks)

• M-T2: between 25.3–30.1 weeks (median 27.4 weeks)

Six groups were defined based on K6 scores ≤4 or ≥5 at both M-T1 and M-T2. The incidence of epilepsy among offspring was determined at ages 1, 2, and 3.

Epilepsy Diagnosis

• Age 1 year: 89 children (0.1%) diagnosed with epilepsy

• Age 2 years: 129 children (0.2%) diagnosed with epilepsy

• Age 3 years: 149 children (0.2%) diagnosed with epilepsy

Maternal K6 Scores:

• Continuous mild to moderate psychological distress (K6 ≥5) at both M-T1 and M-T2 was significantly associated with higher epilepsy diagnosis ratios.

Continuous moderate psychological distress in pregnancy has already been established as a risk factor for epilepsy in early childhood. Such findings pose a reminder of the need for targeted support strategies at the onset of pregnancy and underline the importance of environmental adjustments and interventions aimed at reducing stress.

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