International Epilepsy Day 2025: the effects of epilepsy and cerebral palsy

Posted: 10/02/2025

International Epilepsy Day this year takes place on 10 February. The purpose of the day is to support the implementation of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders. On International Epilepsy Day last year, the clinical negligence team published an article outlining the plan, which remains in place this year (with the target end date of 2031).

Epilepsy is a neurological (nervous system) disorder, where surges of electrical activity in the brain can cause seizures. Epilepsy has a range of causes, and can happen to anyone.

One of these causes can be injuries to children which do, sadly, sometimes occur during their mother’s pregnancy or labour, and in the neonatal (newborn) period. These injuries cause damage to the brain, which can lead to neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy.

People with cerebral palsy are far more likely to have epilepsy. In the UK, about 1% of the general population suffers from epilepsy, compared to around 40% of people with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy does not cause epilepsy; rather, they are both caused by brain damage. Injury to the brain makes it more difficult for the cells to control electrical activity, which can lead to epilepsy.  

As clinical negligence lawyers, we often assist clients who have epilepsy as a result of failings in their care, most commonly children with cerebral palsy. We work with these children, and their families, to investigate whether errors in their medical care caused these injuries, and so we are familiar with the particular issues that can arise for them.

While epilepsy has a wide range of effects on sufferers, there are some particular problems that can be seen in young clients who also have cerebral palsy. Epilepsy symptoms, such as seizures, can start at any age. However, in children with cerebral palsy, they usually begin very early, often in the first year of life. For their parents, these seizures can occur before the diagnosis of cerebral palsy has been made, and this can be especially frightening and distressing, as the cause of the baby’s seizures is not yet known.

Many people with epilepsy have long lives, but in some cases it does reduce life expectancy, especially if the seizures are not controlled. It is also associated with mood disorders, and there can be psychological effects of having frequent emergency hospital admissions. Epilepsy can affect thinking and memory, as well as communication. In children with cerebral palsy, this can be difficult to distinguish from the problems caused by the brain injury. There are also some side effects of epilepsy medication, such as drowsiness, that may again be hard to identify and manage, in the context of the child’s other health issues caused by cerebral palsy.  

Epilepsy is known to cause sleep issues and sufferers often have poorer sleep patterns. For a child, this of course means that their parents lose sleep too. There may be a need for overnight care from the parents, or more professional carers to provide overnight support. Lack of sleep can also have a further effect on mood, for the child and their parents.

As children with cerebral palsy and epilepsy get older, their medical needs are of course complex. They often need professional carers who are trained in how to safely manage seizures and how to administer medication correctly. This in turn may affect the child’s access to education, as they might not be able to attend schools or day centres unless the staff are similarly experienced and trained. Children who are regularly hospitalised miss out on education as they spend so much time in hospital rather than at school.

Ensuring that epileptic seizures can be managed safely becomes more challenging as the child gets larger and heavier, as they grow up. This may mean that more professional carers are needed, or that parents are no longer able to provide as much care for their child when they reach young adulthood. It may also increase the requirement for specialist equipment such as wheelchairs, hoists and the consequent adaptations needed to the family home.

Some parents feel uncomfortable going on holiday or trips with their children if they have regular seizures, unless they have thoroughly researched the medical care available and how they will access it before the trip. This can limit their ability for much-needed leisure time with their child. Even if carers can accompany them, if the child has seizures that require hospital admission, going abroad or even just too far away from their usual hospital can be difficult.

All these factors, and others, mean that children with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, and their families, have complex and wide-ranging needs. These can include professional care, medication, specialist education, psychological support, adaptations to their home, equipment and other assistance. It can be financially challenging as well as emotionally difficult for the families involved. If these needs may have been caused by an avoidable injury at birth, a clinical negligence claim will seek to recover compensation to help meet these additional costs.

If you would like more information, contact our specialist birth injuries and cerebral palsy team.

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