The doctor named the main conditions for a safe pregnancy with multiple sclerosis

Until recently, multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis were considered serious obstacles to pregnancy. Today, with proper training and supervision, women with such diagnoses can carry and give birth to a child. Natalia Trifonova, Deputy Chief Physician of the Sechenov Center for Motherhood and Childhood for Science and Innovative Development, MD, told Izvestia on May 5 on the eve of World Midwife's Day.

"Whether the pregnancy will be successful largely depends not on the diagnosis itself, but on how stable the woman's condition is at the time of conception. Therefore, the key of modern doctors is not to dissuade the patient from giving up her dream of becoming a mother, but to prepare her competently," she said.

According to the specialist, with myasthenia gravis, the course of pregnancy can be unpredictable: in some patients, the condition remains stable, in others it worsens. In case of an exacerbation, intensive therapy may be required, including plasmapheresis or the administration of immunoglobulins.

"In order to reduce the risks of asthenia, it is important to achieve a stable condition and analyze all risk factors together with a doctor before conception.: the better the plan is chosen, the less the possibility of complications, sudden exacerbations and emergency interventions," Trifonova emphasized.

In multiple sclerosis, on the contrary, in many women during pregnancy, the activity of the disease decreases. However, after childbirth, the risk of exacerbation increases, so the treatment plan must be thought out in advance. The expert added that in recent years, new approaches to therapy have been considered, including the use of monoclonal antibodies.

Childbirth in such patients also requires a special approach. With myasthenia gravis, severe muscle weakness is possible, and some drugs used in obstetrics are contraindicated. For example, magnesium sulfate can worsen the condition and cause breathing problems, the doctor explained. After the birth of the child, monitoring should be continued. With multiple sclerosis, it is during this period that the risk of exacerbations increases, and with myasthenia gravis, temporary disorders in the newborn are possible.

"Due to the transfer of maternal antibodies through the placenta, a child may develop transient neonatal myasthenia gravis: weakness, difficulty feeding, respiratory disorders," Trifonova added.

According to the expert, pregnancy with autoimmune diseases is becoming an increasingly common practice today.

"The sooner a woman goes to the doctor and starts planning pregnancy, the more likely she is to successfully complete the journey from conception to childbirth and maintain her health," she concluded.

Andrey Simakov, a gastroenterologist and specialist in neurogastroenterology, said on March 27 that high-dose caffeine consumption can reduce the chances of pregnancy and affect a woman's health in the first trimester. According to the doctor, caffeine in high doses can really affect the onset of pregnancy. It is important to clarify that for women planning pregnancy, the recommended amount of caffeine should not exceed 300 mg per day.