Articles Tagged with MS and pregnancy

Women who use a commonly-prescribed multiple sclerosis drug for treatment of their symptoms may find complications arising when they choose to stop the drug before conceiving, or continue to take the drug during their pregnancy.

A team of Italian researchers recently found a number of reproductive hazards involving Natalizumab , a drug that is commonly used to treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis. This is an extremely potent drug, and according to the Italian researchers, there are several reproductive challenges facing women who try to get pregnant while on the medication.

Women who take the drug to manage their symptoms have a much higher chance of suffering a relapse of their symptoms during their pregnancy, if they cease taking Natalizumab before they conceive. However, if the woman continues to take it even after conceiving, then there’s a serious risk to the health of the fetus. The researchers found that continuing to take the drug after conception, was associated with a much higher risk of a miscarriage. Even in those cases in which the pregnancy was carried to full term, the drug was associated with a much higher risk of a lower birth weight, or a shorter length.