Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Contents of this Article

Can Life Events Affect the Course of MS?

While there is no good evidence that daily stress or trauma affects the course of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), there is data on the influence of pregnancy. Since Multiple Sclerosis (MS) generally strikes during childbearing years, a common concern among women with the disease is whether or not to have a baby. Studies on the subject have shown that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has no adverse effects on the course of pregnancy, labor, or delivery - in fact symptoms often stabilize or remit during pregnancy. This temporary improvement is thought to relate to changes in a woman's immune system that allow her body to carry a baby: because every fetus has genetic material from the father as well as the mother, the mother's body should identify the growing fetus as foreign tissue and try to reject it in much the same way the body seeks to reject a transplanted organ. To prevent this from happening, a natural process takes place to suppress the mother's immune system in the uterus during pregnancy.

However, women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who are considering pregnancy need to be aware that certain drugs used to treat Multiple Sclerosis (MS) should be avoided during pregnancy and while breast feeding. These drugs can cause birth defects and can be passed to the fetus via blood and to an infant via breast milk. Among them are:

• Prednisone
• Corticotropin
• Azathioprine
• Cyclophosphamide
• Diazepam
• Phenytoin
• Carbamazepine
• Baclofen

Unfortunately, between 20 and 40 percent of women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) do have a relapse in the three months following delivery. However, there is no evidence that pregnancy and childbirth affect the overall course of the disease one way or the other. Also, while Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is not in itself a reason to avoid pregnancy and poses no significant risks to the fetus, physical limitations can make child care more difficult. It is therefore important that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients planning families discuss these issues with both their partner and physician.

References:
Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
National Institutes of Health
January 23, 2008
www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/multiple_sclerosis/detail_multiple_sclerosis.htm

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