BEING PREGNANT WITH MS (MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS)

Posted By Braverman IVF & Reproductive Immunology || 2-Jul-2012

Young women who have MS (Multiple Sclerosis) want to know if their MS exacerbations will increase during pregnancy.

Now, studies done over the past 40-years are showing the contrary – MS exacerbations are reduced during pregnancy. Some reasons why women with MS tend to do well during pregnancy are that they have an increase in a number of circulating proteins and other factors that are natural immune suppressants. Additionally, studies have shown that levels of natural corticosteroids are higher in pregnant than non-pregnant women.

The one area where studies are showing an increase in MS exacerbations is during the postpartum period. Exacerbation rates tend to rise in the first three to six months postpartum, and the risk of a relapse in the postpartum period is estimated to be 20-40%. These relapses do not appear to contribute to increased long-term disability. Women with MS who had children, in long-term follow-up studies showed no increased disability as a result of pregnancy.

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