Reference! Multiple type (sclerosis) is somewhat of a mystery to doctors, and they cannot single out one cause of its occurrence. In order for the human body to start the process of destruction of the nerve membranes, it is necessary to have two or even three pathogenic factors.
The prerequisites for the onset of the disease are the following factors:
- Sufficiently young age (25-40 years old).
- Female sex, women are sick 3 times more often than men with this disease).
- The presence of viruses that provoke inflammatory processes, this especially applies to viruses with a long latency period:
- Herpes.
- Retroviruses.
- Measles virus.
- Rubella, etc.
- Genetic predisposition and heredity.
- Frequent surgical interventions and injuries (frequent concussions, spinal column injuries).
- Contact with chemicals.
- The geographic location of the person's place of residence.
- Incorrect lifestyle (alcohol, smoking, etc.).
- Stress.
Causes of the disease in women
Unfortunately, it is the weaker sex falls under the brunt of this disease, women get sick 3 times more often than men.
It is impossible to name the exact causes of multiple sclerosis in young women, but most often it is associated with the following factors:
Statistics
If we talk about statistics, then a lot depends on the geographic location of the country.... So, for example, in Northern Europe, Italy. In New Zealand, the United States, there are about 75 MS patients per 100,000 population. In Southern Europe and North Africa about 45 people. per 100 thousand of the population. Japan and China are countries where the disease is extremely rare, only 2 people per 100 thousand. Moreover, more than a third of all patients are women.
Unfortunately, it is the young age of women that is affected by this disease. This is again associated with hormonal changes that occur in the female body. Women of childbearing age go through hormonal changes in the body, hence the risk of illness.
Symptoms
Consequences
This disease does not pass without a trace, unfortunately, it leads to the patient's disability.... Only from a competent approach to the treatment of this ailment and the psychoemotional mood of the patient himself depends on his further quality of life.
The support of loved ones plays a very important role. It is possible and necessary to adapt to various symptoms and disturbances in the functioning of the body, to which they have led. There are many examples when patients found their purpose in life and, even though they could not run and jump, continued to lead an active lifestyle and did not lose heart.
Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy
We have already said that women of childbearing age are most at risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Therefore, the question of whether pregnancy affects the course of multiple sclerosis is of concern to many women. So it's not easy enough, and only a woman has the right to decide whether to give birth to a child or not.
Nobody can answer unequivocally how a woman will feel during pregnancy and after childbirth. From the point of view of women's health, there are no restrictions, but a woman needs to make a decision whether she is ready to take the appropriate risks.
Risk of exacerbations
Statistics show that during pregnancy, women sometimes feel even better than before this period... However, there is a possibility that an exacerbation may occur during this period. As a rule, exacerbations at this time come in the first trimester and proceed much easier and faster than usual.
Complications
The body of every woman is individual, and how it will behave in this delicate situation, no one can say for sure. No doctor will undertake to vouch for the development of the fetus in the womb.
Is it possible to give birth?
In this matter, after all, decisions are made exclusively by the woman, the expectant mother, and no doctor is able to influence her decision, he can only give his recommendations.
Childbirth is a rather painful and tiring process, and any overwork is contraindicated for women with multiple sclerosis. If we are talking about women who are faced with a violation in the work of the small pelvis (urination and defecation), then talking about a natural way of delivery is generally not worth it.
For women with multiple sclerosis, giving birth is best done with a caesarean section.... During normal childbirth, women exert tremendous strength and push. For those who have such a diagnosis, this is too much stress, which can lead to an exacerbation of the disease and a deterioration in well-being.
Postpartum period
In the postpartum period, women most often have to deal with exacerbations. It is likely that this is due to psychoemotional and physical fatigue at this time. Women do not get enough sleep, they get tired, and this leads to exacerbations.
It is good if there are close and dear people nearby who will take on part of the responsibilities of a young mother and allow her to rest and gain strength as much as possible.
During lactation, a woman also loses a lot of strength and gets tired quickly., all this is directly related to the risk of exacerbation.
Prophylaxis
Women with sclerosis should not give up, if treatment is done on time, it will help reduce the number of exacerbations and avoid a deterioration in the quality of life.
- It is important to seek medical attention in a timely manner.
- Lie in the hospital.
- Take drugs from the PITRS group.
Currently, there is a Russian Federal Program that helps such patients and provides them with medicines (vitamins) to support their health.
Conclusion
No woman is immune from multiple sclerosis, so you need to treat people who are faced with this disease with understanding. If we are a little kinder and more attentive to those who are near us, the world will be a little better.
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18 hours ago, Wave Runner said:
Hello everyone!
I have been reading this forum for a long time, I have been sick with MS for a long time (10 years) and have long dreamed of pregnancy.
The path was difficult and long, and exacerbations, and miscarriages, and attempts at IVF, exacerbations after them, then I took Tizabri for two years and a miracle happened, I became pregnant on my own.
It is now the 5th month, everything is fine with the baby.
I have a question for mothers who have already given birth, what would you do in my place, feed or still not?
My pregnancy has so far passed without exacerbations, but for almost six months now, I've been without Tysabri, and the neurologist says that I need to put an IV drip on the day of birth and no feeding.
The fact is that the last exacerbations (before taking Tysabri) were severe, for two months, I practically did not see and could not walk.
Now I have almost recovered, only a little numbness on the left side.
Reason tells me, and do not think about feeding, the baby needs a healthy mother, and no risks.
well, feelings .. everyone understands everything.
The MRI showed 13 lesions in the head for the last time, 3 in the spinal cord.
Mothers who have been on IV from the very beginning, mothers who have been feeding for only two months, mothers who have been on GW for a long time, knowing about the diagnosis and having a serious history of the disease, answer me everything, please!
Thanks in advance to everyone!
In my experience it is best not to feed and go straight to therapy. I have four children, two of whom I gave birth to with a diagnosis. Looking back, I understand that the first symptoms appeared at school, was registered with a neurologist, but they could not make a diagnosis, did not do an MRI, and as a result, when the diagnosis was made in 2011, there were multiple foci. The first serious exacerbation just hit in 2011, when she was breastfeeding. After the birth of my third child, immediately after discharge from the hospital, they switched to formula and I started giving injections. As a result, the first year of MRI without negative dynamics, the state of health is also normal. Now the fourth child is 2 months old. I wanted to breastfeed for up to six months, but in the end, at 1.5 months, they switched to the mixture, vision began to fall and dizziness began. From personal experience, I can say that first of all you need to look at your well-being, healthy people find it difficult to have such a regime, and if with our diagnosis, then turn off the light altogether. After all, these are night feedings every two hours for 30 minutes on average, colic, diet, you also need to do work around the house, iron diapers and a bunch of other things. So my opinion is that the aggravation from overwork after childbirth and if there are no assistants who will help, then it is better not to take risks, they correctly say that the child needs a mother first of all. By the way, I fed the third child the least of all, only 2 weeks and he is the healthiest for me, and began to develop faster than everyone else, ugh ugh ugh)) health to you and the baby, and most importantly, peace of mind)
Currently, multiple sclerosis is not a contraindication to pregnancy. A woman suffering from this disease has every chance to bear and give birth to a healthy child. A cesarean section is not necessary - childbirth may well proceed naturally. There are no contraindications for spinal anesthesia during childbirth.
During pregnancy, you should not take medications that affect the course of multiple sclerosis. Because of them, the fetus may develop birth defects. Fortunately, the risk of exacerbation of the disease in pregnant women is very low.
There is no need to be afraid. There is no need to listen to common "horror stories". If you suffer from multiple sclerosis and decide to get pregnant, come for a consultation with a doctor at the Yusupov Hospital. You will receive detailed competent advice, answers to all your questions.
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Until 20 years ago, doctors did not know how exactly the body of a woman with multiple sclerosis would react to pregnancy. However, it has now been established that this disease does not affect reproductive function, a woman's ability to bear and give birth to a healthy child. The risks of intrauterine growth retardation are slightly increased. But, for example, the risks of developing serious complications of pregnancy such as preeclampsia or hypertension are the same as in healthy women.
It used to be thought that pregnancy dramatically aggravates the course of multiple sclerosis. But now researchers have found that this is not at all the case. Nevertheless, in the antenatal clinic, patients with multiple sclerosis can still hear: "Have an abortion, otherwise there will be a sharp complication and you will not get up after childbirth." In fact, women with multiple sclerosis tend to do very well during pregnancy and during childbirth.
What does a woman with multiple sclerosis really need to know when planning a pregnancy?
First, because of this disease, there are no restrictions on the number of pregnancies and the age of the expectant mother. Restrictions can only be associated with any other circumstances.
Secondly, during pregnancy, you should not take medications that are usually used for multiple sclerosis. Therefore, about two weeks before planning a pregnancy, you need to stop taking these drugs and then not resume taking them. However, most women become pregnant while taking medications and find out about their situation as early as 3-4 weeks of pregnancy. Then it is necessary to abruptly cancel the treatment, since it is believed that these drugs have a teratogenic effect (affect the fetus). However, it is not recommended to have an abortion in such a situation.
Pregnancy and childbirth
During pregnancy, a woman should not take the drugs she usually takes to control multiple sclerosis. Fortunately, the risk of flare-ups during pregnancy is reduced.
Unfortunately, obstetricians and gynecologists are often afraid of having a natural birth for women with multiple sclerosis. But childbirth is an autonomous process, damage to the myelin sheath cannot affect it in any way, the uterus itself contracts under the influence of certain hormones. Therefore, it is impossible to perform a caesarean section without indications, just because the patient has multiple sclerosis. As for epidural anesthesia, the available data indicate its safety, and doctors in civilized countries leave the choice to the patient.
Lactation
If during pregnancy the risk of exacerbations of multiple sclerosis decreases, then after childbirth it returns to its previous level or even increases slightly. The fact is that a woman has a stressful situation: she cannot get enough sleep, there are a lot of worries and worries. And this is one of the stimuli for the development of exacerbation. But it is impossible to prescribe drugs immediately after childbirth, since a woman must breastfeed the baby for some time, and this is a contraindication for taking medications.
Bibliography
- ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases)
- Yusupov hospital
- Gusev E.I., Demina T.L. Multiple sclerosis // Consilium Medicum: 2000. - № 2.
- Jeremy Taylor. Darwin Health: Why We Get Sick and How Evolution is Connected = Jeremy Taylor “Body by Darwin: How Evolution Shapes Our Health and Transforms Medicine”. - M .: Alpina Publisher, 2016 .-- 333 p.
- A.N. Boyko, O.O. Favorova // Molecular. biology. 1995. - T.29, No. 4. -S.727-749.
An effective defense of the body is represented by the immune system. Its direct function is to protect health from all kinds of dangerous pathogens (viruses, bacteria). But with the onset of some failures, the immunity acts in the opposite order, showing strong aggression towards the tissue structures and cells of the body.
As a result, a serious disease develops - multiple sclerosis. The risk group most often includes women of childbearing age. The question is whether childbirth is possible with multiple sclerosis.
general characteristics
Official medicine does not name the exact reasons due to which the disease develops.
Some experts argue that pathology is a kind of immune response to its own cells under the influence of psychological, physiological, and other factors.
Autoantibodies are suddenly produced, which destroy the membranes surrounding the nervous structure. As a result, myelin, which is the main component of such membranes, is destroyed.
Practice shows that the indicated pathology is a slow and progressive disease.
If it has arisen, complete recovery is impossible. On the contrary, its planned development is inevitable.
With proper supervision by specialists and carrying out correctly selected therapy, the pathological process slows down significantly, increasing the patient's quality of life.
Symptoms during pregnancy with multiple sclerosis are minimized.
Important! The heredity of MS should be kept in mind. The likelihood of developing the disease is equal to 15 - 20% when diagnosed by parents and close relatives.
There are risk factors for pathology:
- regular stressful situations;
- infections of various origins;
- severely suffered injuries;
- radiation exposure;
- an acute lack of sunlight, which is typical for residents of regions far from the equator.
Pregnancy and MS
The period of bearing a child has a positive effect on the health of a woman with autoimmune diseases, with multiple sclerosis in particular. The secret lies in the development of natural immunosuppression.
Partial immune suppression reduces MS symptoms throughout pregnancy. As for any exacerbations, they are observed in the first trimester in about 5 - 7% of patients.
It is known from practice that most often the exacerbation of the described pathological process occurs in the postpartum period, namely in the first months after delivery. The reason for this is the stabilization of the hormonal background, which entails an increased activity of the immune system.
In such situations, more complex attacks appear, incomparable with those that occurred even before pregnancy.
In the process of conducting an instrumental study, the activation of the disease with a pronounced stage of demyelination of nerve fibers is determined.
Important! The risk of exacerbation of the pathology in the period after medical abortion is similar to the consequences of a successfully completed pregnancy.
Studies show that the risk of developing multiple sclerosis in women who have gone through childbirth is significantly reduced.
It is also known that patients who have given birth are less likely to experience disability, and the pathology itself proceeds in a facilitated form.
Possible complications of childbirth in MS
The birth of a child in the presence of pathology occurs in the same way with healthy patients.
The exception is irreversible changes in the functioning of nerve fibers, which are directly responsible for the described process.
Diagnosing multiple sclerosis is not considered a mandatory indication.
Such an operation for pathology is statistically carried out more often, because the woman in labor gets tired faster during childbirth.
There is ongoing controversy regarding use in MS.
This method of pain relief is safe for the baby, but it entails a long recovery of the mother's spinal cord, the nerve fibers of which are already suffering from the disease.
Various studies are underway to determine which is higher. Risks with epidural pain relief or complications are more likely to occur in a baby after a caesarean with general anesthesia.
There are no complications during pregnancy as such.
In some cases, the attending physician prescribes a course of corticosteroids for the new mother.
If there is a threat of exacerbation, immunoglobulin, immunomodulators are taken.
Duration of labor
When deciding whether it is possible to give birth with multiple sclerosis, experts give a positive answer.
There are no specific contraindications for spontaneous labor in MS.
Observations show that patients cope on their own without the onset of serious complications.
As for other modes of delivery, they are recommended by specialists for medical reasons only.
Childbirth involves the use of any type of anesthesia:
- local infiltration;
- general;
- epidural.
Anesthesia is prescribed by an obstetrician and an anesthesiologist, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
Important! The method of managing the entire period of gestation, the duration of labor with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis are similar to those for patients without this disease.
Possible complications after childbirth
Women should be prepared for the fact that after the appearance of the baby, exacerbations of the disease are likely to occur.
This process is associated with physical and psycho-emotional stress that the body has endured.
Excessive fatigue, lack of sleep negatively affects overall well-being.
Statistics show that exacerbations occur in 30% of women in labor, which are caused by the following factors:
- exacerbation of seizures when carrying a child;
- frequent seizures that occur even before pregnancy;
- predisposition to disability before conception.
In such cases, you should take seriously the treatment of multiple sclerosis during pregnancy and even before it.
Qualified specialists not only prohibit giving birth with MS, but strongly recommend pregnancy and childbirth.
During this period, the body "rests" from active surges of the immune system, respectively, remission of pathology occurs.
The consequences of multiple sclerosis during pregnancy, depression is easier for a woman against the background of positive feelings and emotions.
Video: childbirth with multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy is an important topic as the disease is predominantly diagnosed in young people. Most people who have a disease like multiple sclerosis are women of childbearing age. Quite common are questions about how multiple sclerosis affects the ability to get pregnant and labor and delivery.
Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy. Childbirth and opportunities.
Most couples in which one of the partners has multiple sclerosis are quite capable of having children without fear that the disease will adversely affect pregnancy, childbirth and delivery. Multiple sclerosis does not increase the risk of miscarriage or birth defects in the baby. Some women have fewer MS symptoms while in position, and after delivery, symptoms temporarily return. But pregnancy, childbirth, and early motherhood do not increase the risk of multiple sclerosis in the long run.
Some facts indicate that pregnancy can contribute to the delay of the disease for a long time in women who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Plan ahead
If you have multiple sclerosis and want to have children, talk to your doctor. Here are the main points to think about and plan for:
- Some medications for multiple sclerosis are not recommended to be taken while in position. If you are taking any medication for this disease, use reliable contraception until you decide to get pregnant. Talk with your doctor about when to stop taking these medications. In some cases, your doctor may advise you to delay trying to get pregnant until the relapse is over and until you stop taking your medication.
- Some medications should not be taken during breastfeeding. Deciding when to resume medication after pregnancy is different for each woman. Talk to your healthcare provider and consider your own values, desires, and the severity of your illness.
- Several symptoms of pregnancy and the puerperium may be aggravated by the influence of multiple sclerosis. Among them are depression and fatigue. Plan ahead in case you need help with your work, household chores, or caring for your other children while you are in position and in the first few months after giving birth.
A child whose father or mother has multiple sclerosis has a higher chance of contracting the same disease in the future than a child whose parents do not suffer from the disease. The issue of pregnancy with multiple sclerosis in both parents is a priority.
Advice:
See your obstetrician who can monitor your condition during pregnancy and childbirth for multiple sclerosis. Find a specialist who is willing to work closely with your doctor to help you cope with your diagnosis!
You will need help after childbirth
Some people who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis lose their ability to work only over time. Because of this, many couples either do not have children or are trying to have fewer children than they could if they were healthy. Other couples do not change their plans for their offspring after they find out that one of them has multiple sclerosis.
Both men and women with multiple sclerosis may need help to overcome sexual problems, such as problems with sexual arousal and ejaculation.
Given that fatigue, depression, and medication use during lactation are issues to consider after childbirth, you may need to inform your baby's pediatrician about your progress in multiple sclerosis.
Let's summarize:
