In Neurology Clinical Practice, results showed that women with multiple sclerosis were likely not at a higher risk for pregnancy complications compared to women with no history of the condition.
As released by the American Academy of Neurology, researchers examined close to 3,000 pregnant participants diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, comparing them with over 56,000 healthy pregnant women.
According to researchers, the births occurred between 1997 and 2016. Pregnancy complications included gestational diabetes and emergency cesarean section (c-section).
The findings yielded no significant difference in risk of pregnancy complications between both women with multiple sclerosis and women without a diagnosis for the disease.
Out of the total women with multiple sclerosis, about 400, or 14 percent, had an elective c-section operation; this is in comparison to nearly 4,400 of the close to 57,000 women, or 8 percent, who were regarded as healthy.
“We think the reason more women with MS have babies by elective c-section or induced delivery may have to do with MS-related symptoms such as muscle weakness, spasticity or fatigue that might affect the birth,” said one co-author of the study in a press release.
“Any of these could make a mom more tired and lead to delivery complications that could prompt the clinician and woman to take extra precautions.”
