Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory neurological condition typically affecting women of childbearing age. This review addresses questions that often arise in this patient group during pregnancy including the effects of pregnancy on relapse rates and long-term disease course, up-to-date advice on the use of disease-modifying MS treatments during pregnancy, the management of relapses in pregnancy and postpartum and current advice on breast feeding. Pregnancy is associated with a reduction in relapse frequency most marked in the final trimester with a comparable increase in relapse risk in the first 3 months postpartum. Studies examining exposure to MS therapies glatiramer acetate and interferon-beta during pregnancy have produced few negative outcomes offering the possibility of offering treatment until conception. Although initial data suggested breast feeding reduced MS relapses, the latest study demonstrated no significant benefit. Pregnancy is safe in most MS patients and does not negatively influence MS disease course overall. Use of disease-modifying treatments around conception should be considered on a case-by-case basis, weighing risks of drug exposure against risks of relapses. Whether breast feeding produces beneficial effects on MS relapses remain inconclusive.