As part of their research, the EpiKNOW project reviewed the quality of online information available to women with epilepsy (WWE) from preconception through to the postpartum period.
For many women living with epilepsy, planning a family brings important questions – about medication, managing seizures during pregnancy and postpartum, and caring for a newborn. With so much advice available online, it can be hard to know what to trust.
As part of their research, the EPIKNOW team searched Google, YouTube, the Google Play Store and Spotify using common terms like ‘epilepsy and pregnancy’ and ‘women and epilepsy.’
Out of 240 initial results, just 43 resources (including websites, videos and podcasts) met the study’s criteria and were assessed using recognised evaluation tools. These tools measured how reliable and well-presented the health information was.
On average, the quality of information was rated as ‘fair.’ While some resources offered accurate and clear advice, others were incomplete, hard to read, or lacked evidence for their claims.
28% of online resource supporting women with epilepsy deemed poor quality, and only 40% of online resource supporting women with epilepsy from preconception to postpartum were classified as good or excellent quality. Most of the information focused on pregnancy itself, with far less about the postpartum period - a crucial time when women may face challenges around breastfeeding, medication safety, and managing seizures while caring for a newborn.
To help women with epilepsy during the preconception to postpartum period, the team developed a resources table - which also included a quality ranking (accurate as of November 2025) to signpost to and access reliable information online. The resources table can be downloaded from our website via the button below.