Multiple sclerosis is diagnosed mainly at a young age (15-25 years), while in women the incidence is two to three times higher than in men. Up to 10% of cases of the disease are caused by a genetic predisposition, pathology can develop due to increased blood sugar, lack of vitamin D, regular physical exertion, or severe stress.
How compatible are pregnancy and multiple sclerosis? Twenty years ago, doctors did not know exactly how the patient’s body would respond to pregnancy. But today it is established that multiple sclerosis does not affect reproductive function. The risk of intrauterine growth retardation in the fetus with this disease of the mother increases slightly, and the likelihood of serious pregnancy complications is the same as in healthy women.
General information about RS
Multiple sclerosis is a serious autoimmune disease that is associated with impaired signal transmission through the nerve endings. At the same time, recently, doctors agree that pregnancy and childbirth with multiple sclerosis are possible, although there are some risks for the future mother (to a lesser extent). Some experts insist on abortion when a woman with MS comes to be registered for pregnancy. In this case, it is necessary to find a qualified specialist, but at the same time soberly assess all the risks.
The first signs of the disease are increased fatigue and decreased performance, sudden short-term paralysis or muscle weakness, numbness and tingling sensations, frequent dizziness, blurred vision, unsteady gait, double vision, problems with urination. As the disease develops, the symptoms that become more pronounced are added to them, severe limb weakness, decreased severity of thinking and memory size, lack of sex drive and other disorders of the genital area.
Life forecast
Due to somatic disorders, disability may develop. In some cases, the patient is not completely cured, progresses slowly or several factors are combined. The young age of patients often allows us to hope for a favorable outcome. Adverse usually associated with impaired function of the brain and bladder. Long-term remission after the first attack suggests a favorable prognosis, and frequent relapses increase the risk of disability.
Treatments for MS
At the moment, there are no drugs that can completely cure multiple sclerosis. But the disease has a progressive character. Periods of exacerbation are constantly alternating with periods of remission. Only adequate treatment can significantly prolong remission. Therapy is aimed at reducing inflammatory processes and relieving symptoms.
A healthy lifestyle is recommended for patients. Regular physical activity is very important, aerobic exercises are especially useful. It is necessary to maintain an optimal level of vitamins and minerals, avoid overstrain (especially dangerous nervous) and have a good rest, control body temperature, practice relaxing practices (meditation, yoga) and physiotherapeutic procedures (swimming, massages).
Psychological features
Most women with MS are of reproductive age. Because of this, the issue of combining multiple sclerosis and pregnancy is especially relevant. Twenty years ago, women with such a diagnosis were immediately sent for abortion, today doctors are not so categorical. Today, scientists came to the conclusion that even with multiple sclerosis, pregnancy and childbirth can proceed quite successfully, the disease does not pose a threat to the life of the future mother and her child.
In some cases, doctors even recommend that patients become pregnant. Here the psychological component plays an important role. But it is imperative that a woman who decides to give birth to a child needs to undergo a full examination in a medical clinic and get competent advice from a neurologist before conception.
Perhaps doctors will dissuade a woman from pregnancy, so you need to be prepared for criticism. It is important to remember that a contraindication to conception, normal bearing and natural birth of a child is only a very severe form of MS, in which the patient is actually bedridden and cannot move independently.
In nervous disorders, the course of MS is worse than in pregnancy. So if a woman wants to have a baby and has no other contraindications, then she should be given a chance. Excuses and harsh criticism will entail the oppression of the psychological state, which is expected to lead to a deterioration in the course of MS. Abortion strikes both the psychological and physical health of a woman.
Often patients fear that the disease will be transmitted to the child. According to statistics, only three to five percent of children are susceptible to MS if one of the parents suffers from this disease. Multiple sclerosis itself is not transmitted, only a predisposition. This is the official opinion of doctors.
What a woman needs to know
Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy are completely compatible, but only under the supervision of a qualified doctor. Such a diagnosis does not give any restrictions on the number of pregnancies and the age of the expectant mother. Any existing restrictions may be associated only with other circumstances.
But it is worth knowing that during the period of bearing a child you can not take medications, which are usually prescribed for multiple sclerosis. Medications should be discarded approximately two weeks before the start of planning, and then do not resume taking. Of course, all this must be agreed with the doctor.
Most women find out about their interesting situation only at 4-5 weeks of pregnancy, without ceasing to take medicine. In this case, you need to immediately cancel the drugs, because they have a negative effect on the fetus. It is not recommended to have an abortion in such a situation, since in the first weeks the embryo is provided by the corpus luteum.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, it is strictly forbidden to take medications that a woman usually took. The good news is that the risk of exacerbations during the period of bearing a child naturally decreases. Scientists from the University of Calgary have proven that the pregnancy hormone prolactin helps in treating women with multiple sclerosis. In addition, the disease is characterized by the fact that the immune system begins to destroy myelin, and during the period of gestation, the woman’s body ceases to do this.
The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis of the spine during pregnancy involves the mandatory management of a future mother by a qualified gynecologist, neuropathologist and therapist from the moment the woman finds out about her situation. Delay with a visit to the antenatal clinic is not worth it.
Childbirth in women with MS
Multiple sclerosis usually does not occur during pregnancy. In addition, the disease is not a direct indication for caesarean section. Having a baby is a completely autonomous process that is not affected by damage to the myelin sheath. The uterus contracts with hormones. Epidural anesthesia, according to many doctors from Western countries, is completely safe, but still the patient has the right to choose.
With a complicated course of pregnancy and an exacerbation of multiple sclerosis, a woman may not feel the onset of labor. Therefore, in recent months, the expectant mother should be in the hospital. Perhaps doctors will need to artificially cause the birth process. In this case, a woman with such a diagnosis needs to give birth faster, because the disease greatly tires the body, and fatigue occurs much faster than in healthy patients.
Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy: exacerbation
Exacerbations cannot be stopped with drugs, so as not to harm the health of the child. Thirty percent of women experience an exacerbation of the disease immediately after childbirth, and the vast majority — two or three months after the baby is born.
In the first trimester, the risk of exacerbation of multiple sclerosis during pregnancy (reviews of women confirm this) is high - up to 65%. Therefore, it is so important to undergo a medical examination as soon as possible. More often, the condition of those expectant mothers who have experienced frequent exacerbations of MS before conception worsens. Fortunately, women in a position easier to tolerate exacerbations, and their body recovers faster.
Breastfeeding
Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy is an opportunity to forget about exacerbations for a while, since during the period of gestation, the immune system suppresses the manifestations of the disease. However, after childbirth, the risk of exacerbations not only returns, but also increases slightly. This is associated with the occurrence of chronic stress: the expectant mother does not get enough sleep, worries about the baby and for some time tries to breastfeed her baby, which is a contraindication to taking medications. Prolactin continues to be produced during breastfeeding, but still doctors recommend switching to artificial mixtures when the baby is two or three months old. After that, the expectant mother can resume taking medications.
Possible consequences of pregnancy
What are the consequences of pregnancy with multiple sclerosis? Many experts agree that in the case of a caesarean section, the negative consequences for the mother are minimized. Even in the absence of symptoms, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination, and as a preventive measure, undergo therapy with immunomodulatory drugs. Pregnancy with multiple sclerosis (life expectancy for this disease is approximately 35 years after diagnosis) can help establish a long-term remission.
Pregnancy planning for MS in a husband
Before pregnancy, a couple must always consult with a competent specialist. Perhaps the husband will have to give up taking medications for a while. Otherwise, there are no risks. The disease is inherited only in three to five percent of cases if one of the parents has multiple sclerosis, and in ten percent of cases if both are diagnosed.