A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1998 included 254 women with multiple sclerosis from 12 European countries, followed through 269 pregnancies. In the year before pregnancy, there were on average 0.7 relapses per year. During pregnancy relapses decreased, especially in the third trimester, when the rate fell to 0.2.
After birth
In the first three months after birth, the relapse rate rose to 1.2 per year and then returned to its pre-pregnancy level. This suggests that the hormonal and immune changes of pregnancy may temporarily dampen disease activity.
What this means for you
- If you have multiple sclerosis, it is worth planning pregnancy together with your neurologist.
- It is especially important to discuss treatment and care after birth in advance.
- The first months after birth are a time when you need more attention and help.
Sources
- Confavreux C., Hutchinson M., Hours M. M., Cortinovis-Tourniaire P., Moreau T. (1998). Rate of pregnancy-related relapse in multiple sclerosis. New England Journal of Medicine, 339(5), 285–291. doi:10.1056/NEJM199807303390501