A pregnant 25-year-old woman from south Wales died as a result of a rare condition in epilepsy, a landmark inquest has heard. Megan Gardiner, from Barry, was 17 weeks' pregnant when she died as a result of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in June 2022.
The inquest, being held at Pontypridd coroners' court, is the first in Wales to consider the significance of SUDEP risk discussions in epilepsy care. SUDEP is a rare condition affecting one in a thousand people with epilepsy annually and often happens during or after a seizure.
Coroner Kerrie Burge heard evidence from Miss Gardiner's mother Alison Woolcock, 55, who told the court the family were not properly aware of the risks associated with epilepsy and had not known there was a chance her daughter could die so suddenly. Ms Woolcock described her daughter as 'beautiful', 'full of life' with 'a thoughtful and caring soul'.
The inquest heard Miss Gardiner had epilepsy since she was 13. In good periods she would only have one seizure a month but at its worst she could have as many as four in one day. Her seizures usually happened in the day time but not always.
Ms Woolcock told the court that Miss Gardiner had been advised from a young age that if she wished to have children a planned pregnancy would be best as medications could be adapted. Some epilepsy medications, such as sodium valproate, could be dangerous for babies, she recalled. However, she said the risk of death was never outlined to them and SUDEP was never discussed.
