Epilepsy is a common medical condition in women of reproductive age. Epilepsy can lead to unprovoked seizures that increase the chance of seriously injuring or killing individuals, while the triggers can vary widely from person to person. Sadly, antiseizure drugs taken by pregnant women can increase the risk of babies being born with physical abnormalities. To mitigate risks in pregnancy, women and healthcare professionals struggle to make informed decisions about their care and treatments. This sometimes leads to underestimating the risk of harm from seizures and a lack of appropriate advice and support.
Digital technologies, such as the Epilepsy Self-Monitoring (EpSMon) app, allow patients with epilepsy to generate their own risk assessment data and record engagements with their GP about their health, diagnosis, and medication events via smartphones. Collaborating with the charity SUDEP Action and SUVO company,
Professor Shang-Ming Zhou
and his team used patient self-generated data via EpSMon to identify the risks and health outcomes of childbearing women. Through this research, they gained an understanding of how digital technologies could be used to improve the wellbeing of expectant mothers who suffer from seizures.
