Being born prematurely may increase your risk of developing epilepsy as an adult, according to a new study published in the October 4, 2011, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “We found a strong connection between preterm birth and risk of epilepsy and the risk appears to increase dramatically the earlier the birth occurs during pregnancy,” said study author Casey Crump, MD, PhD, of Stanford University in Stanford, California. “More effective prevention of preterm birth is urgently needed to reduce the burden of epilepsy later in life.”
