We were delighted to recently attend a special event in the Royal College of Surgeons to launch new resources for women with epilepsy navigating the preconception to postpartum period.
The EpiKNOW project was led by researchers in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and as part of their research, in partnership with subject matter experts and women with epilepsy, the EpiKNOW team identified where information gaps exist for women with epilepsy in preconception to postpartum.
The project was part-funded by Epilepsy Ireland – and our investment in this research saw us surpass the €1.5 mill mark in total research investments. We were very proud to provide funding towards this project and hope the resources will help women with epilepsy across Ireland.
The new resources developed aim to aid women with epilepsy in their conversations with their primary care team, their epilepsy specialist team and maternity care team. The resources act as a checklist on important topics that they should discuss with their teams – including subjects like contraception, potential impacts of Anti-Seizure Medications, birth plans and seizure safety throughout pregnancy and postpartum. The resources can also be used by medical teams to help aid their conversations with women with epilepsy.
The launch event was attended by leading healthcare professionals and women with epilepsy alike – with two panel sessions of Healthcare Professionals and Women with epilepsy discussing the benefit of these new resources and how they need to be utilised going forward.
In particular, we would like to highlight the incredible inputs from the women with epilepsy who took part in this panel at the launch event; many of whom are Epilepsy Ireland media volunteers. Thank you to Emma, Lisa, Nicole and Lorraine - who shared their personal experiences with epilepsy, family planning, navigating pregnancy and postpartum.
With over 10,000 women with epilepsy in Ireland being of childbearing potential, we would urge women with epilepsy to please make use of the resources that have been developed by the EpiKNOW project. You can find the new resources by visiting ‘EpiKNOW’ page on our website.
We would like to also congratulate all involved in the EpiKNOW project – with a special mention to Dr. Aisling Walsh and Dr. Jade Parnell who led the project. We would also like to thank all the women with epilepsy who contributed to the project by sharing their experiences.
Finally, we would also like to thank all our supporters for their continued fundraising efforts in support of Epilepsy Ireland. Without your support, investing in research projects like this would not be possible and we would potentially not be sharing new developments like this with you.
Should you need any information or support about epilepsy, please do not hesitate to contact your local Community Resource Officer. You can find their details by visiting the ‘Our Local Service’ page on our website.