Abstracts

Rationale: Epilepsy is an important cause of illness during childhood. To increase understanding of the long-term health and social outcomes of childhood epilepsy we investigated outcomes in adulthood using data from the 1958 British National Child Development Study (NCDS), a national cohort study. Cohort members have been followed since birth by interview/clinical examination at 7,11,16,23,33,41 years with extensive data on biological, social, and lifestyle factors available. Methods: 14761 (85% and representative) of the original 17414 NCDS members still participating at age 16 years were included. 99 (0.7%) (51 male) had validated epilepsy onset ≤16 yrs and were classified using ILAE guidelines. We examined social interaction, mental and general health, employment, education, and personal relationships. Regression techniques, adjusting for confounders, were used to investigate epilepsy as a risk-factor for adverse outcomes. Results: History of status epilepticus and special needs schooling were predictors for continued seizures at age 21yrs. Compared to the rest of the population, at 23yrs people with childhood onset epilepsy were less likely to be party-goers (Odds Ratio [OR] 0.5; 95%CI 0.314-0.9, p=0.02) and not more likely to be depressed. By 33yrs they were more likely to be depressed (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.0-3.7,p=0.05), in poor health (OR 0.48, 95%CI 0.25-0.89, p=0.02), less likely to be employed (OR 0.28; 95%CI 0.13-0.61,p=0.001), less likely to have been married (OR 0.57; 95%CI 0.34-0.95,p=0.03) and less likely to be a parent (OR 0.44; 95%CI 0.27-0.71,p=0.001). They were more likely (OR 6.0, 95%CI 1.4-26.1,p=0.02) to die by 41yrs. Conclusions: In adulthood people with childhood onset epilepsy have markedly increased heath and socioeconomic difficulties compared to the general population.